Why was the offender unable to be caned despite the severity?

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Offender Exempted from Caning Due to Age

The offender, Yeo Choon Chua, was not subjected to caning as part of his sentence because he was over the age of 50 at the time of sentencing, which is the legal threshold in Singapore for exemption from this punishment. Despite the nature of the offence, which involved molesting a vulnerable adult, the law prohibits the caning of individuals aged 50 and above.
Sentencing Details

Yeo Choon Chua was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in jail for outraging the modesty of a 28-year-old woman with autism and a mild to moderate intellectual disability. This sentence included a specific provision for three months of imprisonment in lieu of six strokes of the cane. The court took into account his guilty plea as a mitigating factor, which spared the victim the distress of testifying.
Legal Provisions on Caning

Under Singaporean law, individuals who have reached the age of 50 are not eligible to receive caning as a form of punishment. This legal restriction applies regardless of the severity of the crime committed. Yeo, who was 72 years old when he was sentenced, therefore fell under this age-related exemption.
Circumstances of the Offence

The offence occurred when Yeo lay in wait for the victim at her public housing block's lift lobby. He approached her, hugged her, and touched her private parts for over a minute. The victim, due to her cognitive and social challenges, was unable to consent to any sexual acts and had difficulty understanding social situations. Yeo had prior interactions with the victim, suggesting he was aware of her vulnerabilities.

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Why was the offender unable to be caned despite the severity?

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