Veteran athletics coach acquitted of molesting athlete in 2013 after appeal

SINGAPORE: A veteran athletics coach who was sentenced to 21 months’ jail in 2020 for molesting an athlete in 2013 has been acquitted of both charges after appealing to the High Court.

Mr Loh Siang Piow, 79, also known as Mr Loh Chan Pew, was acquitted of two charges of using criminal force on the then-18-year-old woman at Tampines Stadium to outrage her modesty. 

In a judgment on Thursday (Mar 30), Justice Hoo Sheau Peng said the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The alleged victim, named only as Ms C, was the sole witness in the case and her testimony had to be unusually convincing to secure a conviction.

Justice Hoo said there were “serious doubts as to the veracity of Ms C’s allegations”.

Ms C was an aspiring national-level athlete at the time. She began training intensely in early 2013 and was coached by Loh, who also trained athletes from various schools, including a junior college and a university.

According to Ms C, Mr Loh molested her under the guise of giving her massages after their individual training sessions on Feb 24 and Mar 15 in 2013.

Justice Hoo pointed out that at that time, there was a prevalent practice in the athletics community for coaches to give trainees massages after intensive training.

She said that Ms C’s messages contain inconsistencies with her version in court about the events. She had also “exaggerated” aspects of the events.

“Even in court, her account of where she was touched has been unclear, and her account that she allegedly experienced an involuntary orgasm from the violation of her body seemed to be an embellishment,” said Justice Hoo.

She also pointed to Ms C’s seemingly “jovial mood” hours after allegedly being molested.

Ms C had also shifted positions on