The Toa
Payoh ritual murders took place in Singapore in 1981. On 25 January
the body of a nine-year-old girl was found dumped next to the lift of a block
of flats in the Toa Payoh district and, two weeks later, a ten-year-old boy was
found dead nearby. The children had been killed, purportedly as blood
sacrifices to the Hindu goddess Kali. The murders were masterminded by Adrian
Lim, a self-styled medium, who had tricked scores of women into believing he
had supernatural powers. His victims offered money and sexual services in
exchange for cures, beauty, and good fortune. Two of the women became his loyal
assistants; Tan Mui Choo married him, and Hoe Kah Hong became one of his
"holy wives". When the police investigated a rape charge filed by one
of Lim's targets, he became furious and decided to kill children to derail the
investigations. On each occasion, Hoe lured a child to Lim's flat where he or she
was drugged and killed by the trio. Lim also sexually assaulted the girl before
her death. The trio were arrested after the police found a trail of blood that
led to their flat. Although the case name suggested ritualistic murders, the
defendants said they did not conduct prayers, burning of joss sticks, ringing
of bells, or any other rituals during the killings.
The
41-day trial was the second longest to have been held in the courts of
Singapore at the time. None of the defendants denied their guilt. Their appointed
counsels tried to spare their clients the death sentence by pleading diminished
responsibility, arguing that the accused were mentally ill and could not be
held entirely responsible for the killings. To support their case they brought
in doctors and psychologists, who analysed the defendants and concluded that
they had exhibited schizophrenia, and depressions of the psychotic and manic
order. The prosecution's expert, however, refuted these testimonies and argued
that they were in full control of their mental faculties when they planned and
carried out the murders. The judges agreed with the prosecution's case and
sentenced the trio to death. While on death row, the women appealed to the
Privy Council in London and pleaded for clemency from the President of
Singapore to no avail. Lim did not seek any pardons; instead, he accepted his
fate and went smiling to the gallows. The three were hanged on 25 November
1988.
The Toa
Payoh ritual murders shocked the public in Singapore, who were surprised by
such an act taking place in their society. Reports of the trio's deeds and the
court proceedings were closely followed and remained prominent in the
Singaporean consciousness for several years. Twice, movie companies tried to
capitalise on the sensation generated by the murders by producing motion
pictures based on the killings; however, critics panned both films for
indulging in gratuitous sex and violence, and the movies performed poorly at
the box office. The actions and behaviour of the three killers were studied by
academics in the criminal psychology field, and the rulings set by the courts
became local case studies for diminished responsibility.
Whoever
says Singapore is boring and antiseptic ignores our hard-to-surpass crime spine
tinglers starring inimitable rogues such as ... the very incarnation of
Evil — Adrian Lim ...
- Sonny Yap, The Straits Times, 15 July
1995
