Law Society distances from VP after rape victim comments on LinkedIn cause outcry

In a brief statement on Tuesday (25 March), the Law Society confirmed the resignation of its vice-president and council member Chia Boon Teck who faced backlash over his online remarks surrounding a rape case. 

Checks by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE revealed that Chia's photo and profile has been removed from the Law Society's website. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to the Law Society of Singapore for more information. 

Chia highlighted 10 points in relation to the case which drew immediate criticism from fellow LinkedIn users and the wider digital community, including the law and home affairs minister himself. These posts have since been deleted.

In the statement from the Law Society, the organisation said, "We thank Chia for his service and contributions during his tenure on council and wish him well in his future endeavours." His resignation came shortly after Lisa Sam, president of the Law Society, formally asked Chia to step down from his position, saying his comments and views on rape were "unacceptable". 

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"The victim's morality should not have been questioned in this manner. Such comments and views are also inimical for a person in a position of leadership to espouse," she added. 

All of this occurred following the conviction of former Wah!Banana scriptwriter and actor Lev Panfilov last week. The matter escalated to the point where even K. Shanmugam, Singapore's law and home affairs minister, expressed his surprise about the comments made by Chia.

"Mr Chia has expressed his personal views. But he is also the Vice President of the Law Society. My concern is that some people might actually think that the views he has expressed indicate the norms in Singapore. And I worry what impact his statement may have on other victims," he said.

According to screenshots shared by K. Shanmugam, Chia described the 30-year-old victim as “not exactly a babe in the woods". He also commented, “Wow. Was she awake during this marathon," referencing the sexual assault she was subjected to. Additionally, Chia referred to the fact that the two met on a dating app, stating, "What's Tinder well-known for? It ain't no LinkedIn."

Shanmugam also expressed that society refrained from typecasting women. 

"We ought to refrain from typecasting women, who are often victims of sexual assault. Lawyers, in particular those in senior positions representing the legal profession, need to be mindful that when we make statements which minimise or dismiss victims’ concerns, that can have a disproportionate impact on other victims, who may then not be willing to report what happened to them," he added. 

Additionally, Shanmugam stated that shaming and blaming victims "steps over the line", and misogyny should have no place in society. 

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