Woman fined for molesting female server at nightclub, victim asks for compensation

Woman fined for molesting female server at nightclub, victim asks for compensation The victim said she had lost her job as a result of the incident and sought additional compensation. SINGAPORE: A woman who molested a female server at a nightclub was fined S$2,500 (US$1,950) by a court on Thursday (Oct 29). The victim, whose identity is protected by a gag order, turned up in court to ask for additional compensation, saying she had lost her job as a result of the incident. Sonik Archana Susheel, a 32-year-old Indian national, pleaded guilty to one count of molestation. The court heard that Sonik went to a popular nightspot to meet a friend at around 11pm on Mar 13. CNA is not naming the club as doing so could lead to the victim's identification. Sonik had consumed alcohol at home and continued drinking at the club. After midnight on Mar 14, Sonik was dancing alone when the victim and two of her colleagues walked through the area. The victim was a "bottle girl", a waitress who specialises in delivering entire bottles of liquor to tables. She almost collided with Sonik, who was dancing erratically. Sonik then touched the victim's buttocks and pushed her stomach area before showing her the middle finger. The victim turned to Sonik and uttered an expletive. She was distressed by the incident and sought assistance from the bouncers. Her superiors told her to rest in the kitchen and later reported the incident to the police. Sonik was arrested that same day. Deputy Public Prosecutor Yohanes Ng sought a fine of S$2,500 for her. Defence lawyer Ariffin Sha from Shehzhadee Law said the prosecution's position was fair. He said his client had no prior convictions and had voluntarily paid compensation of S$1,500 to the victim. "Her actions were entirely out of character," he said. "They were not for the purposes of sexual gratification." VICTIM ASKS FOR MORE COMPENSATION The victim attended the court hearing and was asked to come forward. She confirmed that she had received voluntary compensation of S$1,500 from Sonik, but said she wanted to make a claim for additional compensation. "As a result of this case, I was subsequently fired from the job," she said, guessing that it was because of the trouble it caused. She said she was removed from her work group chat a week after the incident and removed from all her "schedules" in the next month. She lost about six months of income, which amounted to about S$18,000. "Because of the mental distress that I faced, I subsequently left the whole industry as a whole," said the woman. "Because of this, I actually lost a fair bit of income that's actually helping me sustain my school fees and allowance." When asked what amount she was seeking, the woman said she was not sure and asked the court for guidance on what a fair amount would be. When Sonik heard the amount, she covered her mouth with her hands in the dock. Mr Ariffin said the S$1,500 already paid was for the emotional harm suffered by the victim. "In respect of the victim's claim for losses arising from the loss of her job, I do have a lot of sympathy for the victim," he said. "That being said, it's unclear how, there's no clear link between the offence and the loss of the job, and I don't think the compensation order is the appropriate forum for ... recovering damages of this nature," said the lawyer. Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng said there was insufficient evidence for the court to determine the proper compensation amount, if any, to be ordered. She said this would be more appropriately dealt with in a different forum. As voluntary compensation had already been made, she declined to make any compensation order. For outrage of modesty, the offender could have been jailed for up to three years, fined, or both. She cannot be caned as she is a woman.