Three Britons on trial for allegedly taking turns to rape woman at Carlton Hotel

A 23-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by three Britons, while she was drunk and asleep, at the Carlton Hotel in Bras Basah Road on Sept 10, 2016.

The three accused, Tam Thanh Khong, 22, Michael Le and Vu Thai Son, both 24, all British citizens of Vietnamese descent, were charged in Singapore on Tuesday (Aug 1) for the alleged gang-rape.

Khong and Vu also face an additional charge of digitally penetrating the victim.

The Straits Times reports that the trio had flown to Singapore from Britain on Sept 9 to attend a two-day music festival, Ultra Singapore, and celebrate Khong’s brother’s bachelor party.

The victim, a Malaysian who worked as a marketing and corporate communications officer, had met a friend of the three accused, Mr Ahn Viet Trinh, 24, at the nightclub Zouk.

The three accused were also part of the group present at the nightclub during the time.

The victim, then drunk, suggested to Mr Ahn that they retired to his hotel room in Carlton Hotel where they had consensual sex, at around 2.30am.

The victim then fell asleep in the room, which was shared by Ahn’s friends who were not present at the time.

At around 4am, Khong returned to the room, and was let in by Mr Ahn.

Mr Ahn left the room soon after, leaving Kong and the victim.

Khong then allegedly raped the victim who was asleep.

Deputy Public Prosecutor G. Kannan added that Khong left the room after the deed, and ‘like clockwork’, Vu entered the room at around 4.25am, and allegedly raped the victim. 

Vu then left the room and Le entered ‘within the minute’ at 4.50am.

Le raped the victim, who woke up midway.

The victim confronted him and they had an argument.

Le left the room at around 5.05am.

Mr Ahn returned to the room at 5.20am, and the victim, suspecting that he had been involved in the gang-rape, confronted him.

Mr Ahn denied the accusation and said he had no knowledge of it.

The victim left the hotel at around 6.30am.

Mr Ahn was investigated with the three accused and his passport was impounded.

However, he absconded before the investigations were completed.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the victim told investigating officers that although she felt the sensations of intercourse while she was asleep, she had thought that it was Mr Ahn whom she was sleeping with.

The trial will continue this afternoon (Aug 2).