Singapore:
An Indian-origin former associate social worker in Singapore was today jailed for four months on charges of molesting a homemaker consecutively on two days.
Veerasamy Marimuthu, 53, admitted to one charge of outraging the modesty of the 39-year-old victim on January 6 this year and had another charge taken into consideration, The Straits Times reported.
He was helping at the Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre at the time and his primary job had been to assess families who had moved into Ang Mo Kio public housing estate to see if they needed help.
The victim, who is married with two children, was the beneficiary of a help scheme, and received food rations from the centre.
On January 5, Veerasamy had gone to the victim's home and had used criminal force to touch her hands. The next day he visited her again and entered the flat under the pretext of wanting to talk to her about her children's school needs.
While sitting next to her on a sofa, he tried to molest her.
The offence came to light when the victim told a counsellor at the service centre two days later.
District Judge Salina Ishak agreed with Deputy Public Prosecutor Joshua Lim that there were several aggravating factors.
"The accused is a social worker who is supposed to provide aid to the victim, and not to inflict fear and harm.
He abused his position of trust and committed the offence not once but twice," she said.
Veerasamy, who is married with no children, could have been jailed for up to two years and fined.