A Hawke’s Bay horticultural contractor has been jailed for more than 14 years for the rape and exploitation of two migrant women he employed, in a case detailed extensively by Stuff and RNZ.
46-year-old Parminder Singh was sentenced at the Napier District Court on Tuesday after a jury found him guilty of multiple sexual offences.
As reported by Stuff, Singh was convicted on five counts of rape, two counts of sexual violation, one charge of stupefying a victim, and two charges of exploiting temporary workers. He continued to deny all charges.
According to Stuff, the court heard that Singh used his position as an employer to manipulate and dominate vulnerable migrant women seeking work across Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and Manawatū.
In September 2023, he hired a Vietnamese woman in her twenties under the guise of providing seasonal work. Stuff reported that he isolated her in a Hastings motor lodge, raped her on the second night, and continued to assault her throughout a two-month period in which he withheld her pay, making her financially dependent. He also raped her in Havelock North, Napier and Auckland and threatened her with supposed links to police and immigration authorities, warning that other Vietnamese workers would “suffer consequences” if she tried to leave.
It is reported that his second victim, an Argentinian woman on a visitor visa, was drugged and raped after Singh invited her for a drink while pretending to offer employment. She later escaped with help from another migrant worker and reported the assault to police, Stuff reported.
Crown prosecutor Clayton Walker described Singh’s actions as “premeditated” and said the first victim had been “effectively trapped”, urging a sentence of up to 16 years. Judge Richard Earwaker said Singh had committed a “severe breach of trust and power” and targeted women who were “vulnerable and in a foreign country”.
“There was a high level of premeditation about your offending,” the judge said, remarks reported by Stuff.
Singh, an Indian national who migrated to New Zealand in 1998, had previous convictions for assault, indecent assault, threats to kill and wounding with intent.
Judge Earwaker sentenced him to 14 years and two months’ imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of seven years, stressing the need to denounce his conduct and protect the community.
Last July, RNZ reported that police had sought approval to charge Singh with human trafficking after a “distraught” victim raised the alarm. Detectives believed there may have been a migrant exploitation and trafficking operation in the region. However, the Solicitor-General declined consent, saying there was insufficient evidence to meet the legal threshold, RNZ reported. Singh’s name suppression was lifted in January 2024, and Stuff confirmed his identity.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
