In a rational world full of rational people, you could go around and do pretty much anything as long as you’re not breaking any laws or hurting anyone.
But, for reasons we can’t explain, there are people out there who will mistreat you for no reason at all.
In this story, all the victim did was take the lift.
Man Assaults a 13-Year-Old Teen in Lift For No Reason
The bizarre incident occurred on 22 Nov, 2019, and involved three people:
- French national Vu Han Jean-Luc Kha, then 42
- A 41-year-old Singaporean man
- A 13-year-old boy
On that fateful day, at around 8:15pm, an inebriated Kha and the 41-year-old man entered a lift at Parklane Shopping Mall in Selegie on the fifth storey.
Inside the lift were a 13-year-old boy and his then-12-year-old brother. Soon after entering the lift, Kha began asking the 13-year-old obscene questions about his private parts.
The boy felt alarmed but did not react.
Then, for reasons unknown, Kha punched the victim on the left temple, causing the victim to fall backwards and slam his left upper arm into the elevator’s handrails. The accused then hurled vulgarities at the victim.
The teenager, who was understandably frightened at this point, grabbed Kha’s hands to prevent another attack, but this only angered Kha even more.
“You want to challenge me? Why do you want to challenge me?” he said.
At this point, the Singaporean man held Kha back and pushed him out of the lift after it stopped at the first storey.
Kha refused to leave, however, using his foot to stop the elevator doors from closing. He then slapped the victim on the left cheek and pushed him.
Another man who witnessed the attack detained Kha and the Singaporean man at the mall and called the police.
The poor boy was conveyed to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, as he had sustained injuries including a buried temple.
Pleaded Guilty to Charges; Lawyer Asked for MTO Instead of Jail
Yesterday, (21 Oct), the now 44-year-old pleaded guilty to one count each of assault and harassment.
It turns out that Kha is CEO and director of The Prive Group, a food and beverage company that has an office in Tiong Bahru Plaza.
Kha’s defence lawyer pointed out that his client suffers from bipolar disorder, and requested a report to assess her client’s suitability for a mandatory treatment order (MTO).
An MTO is usually given to non-habitual offenders who commit offences as a result of suffering from certain psychiatric conditions.
Instead of serving jail time, those issued an MTO will be directed to undergo psychiatric treatment at a psychiatric institution.
However, the judge denied the defence lawyer’s request. Kha will be sentenced on 14 Dec when he returns to court.
As for the victim, the incident has scarred him so badly that he was still frightened of taking lifts a year after the attack.
Relieved of His Role as Prive Group CEO
Interestingly, after Kha pled guilty, the Prive Group released a statement saying “Mr Vu Han Jean-Luc Kha remains a valuable member of our management team and has our full and unwavering support.”
Unsurprisingly, netizens began flaming the company on social media and writing negative reviews on their Facebook page, with many threatening to boycott their restaurants.
Today (22 Oct), the company took down all the negative removes and seems to have had a change of heart.
“We strongly condemn (Kha’s) actions and all acts of violence and would like to reassure the public that his personal actions do not in any way reflect our core values,” it said.
“With immediate effect, Jean-Luc Vu Han will no longer be CEO of The Prive Group.”
“We sincerely apologise if any of our statements has been misconstrued as condoning his actions as we do not support violence in any way,” it added.
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