How DSP Chris Lee and his team supported a victim in a harrowing case of abuse and brought the perpetrators to justice.
By: K Shreeyaa
A seasoned officer who joined the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 1995, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Chris Lee has investigated many serious offences with the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Special Investigation Section since 2007.
In 2018, DSP Lee was the lead Investigation Officer (IO) for what turned out to be one of the most heart-wrenching cases of his career – a case that would test his investigative skills and resilience.
Case Snapshot
The victim was a 27-year-old woman with mild intellectual disabilities who’d suffered two years of abuse from multiple members of a family.
The victim had sought refuge with the family of a school friend after running away from home. She became their servant in exchange for a roof over her head. However, she then became the target of severe abuse.
Over the course of two years, the family would physically and mentally torture her. They knocked out her teeth, fractured her toes and poured hot oil and water on her. The abuse only came to light when one of the family members called the Police on 16 January 2018.
“It was really horrific,” recalled DSP Lee when he first saw the victim at the hospital and learnt of her injuries. “The medical report indicated that she might not survive the weekend.”
The victim was rushed to the hospital in a critical state. Doctors worked hard to stabilise her condition. Miraculously, she pulled through. Her recovery was no easy feat, and DSP Lee and his fellow officers did their best over the coming months to piece together what had happened to her.
Uncovering the Truth
DSP Lee and his team approached the case details methodically. They reviewed more than two weeks of CCTV footage from the family’s home and uncovered inconsistencies in the initial statements provided by the family members, who’d colluded to hide the truth.
Once the officers probed further, other cracks started to show. “The initial statements provided by the family members didn’t align with our preliminary findings,” explained DSP Lee.
Soon, investigations revealed that six members of the family were involved in abusing the victim. However, without the witness’ statement, the case remained inconclusive.
Building a Case
As the victim had suffered extensive injuries, she could only communicate by nodding her head and moving her fingers. With support from a team of doctors and social workers, her condition improved over three months, and she was moved to a care centre.
Determined to seek justice, DSP Lee visited the victim daily, spending approximately six hours each time. With the help of an interpreter, he patiently recorded her statement.
“My priority was to support her emotional well-being while recording her statement, because she was still in recovery,” explained DSP Lee.
Over nine months, DSP Lee and his team conducted interviews while she concurrently underwent separate medical and counselling sessions. To help her recall key events, DSP Lee and his team used festive periods like Christmas and the New Year to construct an accurate timeline of the abuses.
“Through this process, the interpreter, our officers and I became close to her,” shared DSP Lee. “She was just someone who could naturally form connections with others.”
Gaining Control of Her Life
By the time the court cases were concluded in 2024, six members of the family were convicted of various offences and received jail sentences ranging from three weeks to 17 years. Despite the unimaginable horrors she endured, the victim’s resilience shone through as she slowly regained control of her life.
“The fact that the victim was able to pull through and rebuild her life – it was simply very touching as it was all about second chances and miracles,” recalled DSP Lee. “It really moved the whole team. The most heartwarming part of this case for me was seeing the compassion from everyone who interacted with the victim – from medical staff and social workers to Police officers.”
In 2019, DSP Lee assumed a new role as an Officer-in-Charge of the CID’s Organised Crime Branch. Reflecting on the case he first took on seven years ago in January 2018, DSP Lee paid tribute to the work of his fellow officers and the spirit of the victim herself.
“The committed team I worked with have passion and drive, and they contributed significantly to the successful convictions,” he recalled. “It was also very touching to see the victim rebuild her own life, form other attachments and look forward to a brighter future. I’m pleased we were able to serve justice in this case.”
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