Straits Times recently reported that a lingerie thief was sentenced and required to attend psychiatric counselling. The 29-year-old man, Lee Chan Hoe, had amassed over 100 pieces of female underwear. He was caught exhibiting disturbing behaviour with a neighbour’s undergarment in February of 2016. Following his arrest, Lee was charged on multiple counts related to his repeated thefts.
An Obsession Out of Control
Lee lived in a flat at Bedok North Street 3. Early one morning, around 4:30 a.m., he went to another floor of the building and found a clothes rack outside another flat. He took a pink and purple brassiere from the rack. Someone inside the flat noticed him lying on the floor outside the flat, holding the bra. He rose to a kneeling position, smelled the bra, then lay down again and held it to his nose. After a time, he got up, replaced the bra where it was on the rack, and left. The person in the flat called the police, who located Lee in the void deck.
A search of Lee’s flat revealed an extensive collection of women’s underwear, consisting of 51 pairs of panties and 55 bras. Lee confessed that he had been taking them for about a year. Some of the undergarments came from a nearby HDB block and had been missing since March of the previous year. Other bras and panties were from other residences in the neighbourhood.
The Charges and the Penalties
Lee was charged with fraudulent possession of property, which carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $3,000 fine. The perpetrator pleaded guilty to that charge and to three other charges of dishonest misappropriation of property. Because his crimes were related to a mental condition, the court ruled that Lee must have one year of treatment by a psychiatrist in Singapore. This Mandatory Treatment Order, or MTO, requires mandatory sessions with a Singapore psychiatrist.
Back in Control
A Mandatory Treatment Order of this kind can be very helpful to people struggling with compulsions that lead to criminal behaviours. With the assistance of a professional psychiatrist, these individuals can regain control over their own mental health. That renewed control and understanding of their own mental processes may help them function normally within society again.
The Way to Curb Compulsion
Have you noticed odd behaviour on the part of a neighbour, coworker, relative, or friend? Consider speaking to the person about visiting Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic. The strange actions may be symptoms of a deeper mental health issue, one that could lead to criminal offences or even personal harm to the individual or to others. An obsession out of control can be a frightening thing. Perhaps you have personally felt odd impulses or a growing obsession that may not be healthy for you. Talk to the psychologists and psychiatrists at Adelphi about your concerns. They will offer you understanding, treatment, and support in a comfortable, non-judgmental environment. No matter what stage your mental condition has reached, it’s never too late to find help.
News Feed from Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic
Source: Straits Times, 30 August, 2016
