Shin Min Daily News - 3 hrs 26 mins ago
Mdm Zhang married a fugitive rapist.
A local woman has come forward to share her experience of having
married a fugitive rapist.
Mdm Zhang (43, masseuse) told reporters that she got to know her
Norwegian husband Michael (57, businessman) through a friend about
11 years ago when she was on holiday in Italy.
The two had maintained contact through the internet and met
again in Dubai in 2004. They dated for a year before getting
married in Singapore on 25 May 2005.
Mdm Zhang said, "I felt very lonely when I was in Dubai. The
social rules there were very strict so it was very tough for me. At
that time, he became my sanctuary."
Their marriage hit an unexpected hitch when her husband was
suddenly deported from Singapore in 2006, then extradited back to
Norway from Qatar after that.
"I didn't know what happened to him. He told me an ex-girlfriend
had some financial troubles with her business, so he needed to
return and help with investigations," said Mdm Zhang.
After that, Mdm Zhang related that she paid more than $3,000 in
legal fees on her husband's behalf. The lawyer did not explain to
her about the case, but suggested that she search for Michael's
name on the internet.
"I discovered that Michael was wanted by the Interpol. He is a
convicted rapist."
According to the Norwegian media, Michael was sentenced to 3
years and 10 months' jail for raping his ex-girlfriend. He had also
been arrested for using violence on nearly ten women, including
threatening his ex-wife with a knife.
Michael became a fugitive when he disappeared before his case
was brought on appeal in Norway.
Michael eventually served his sentence then returned to
Singapore to look for Mdm Zhang at her flat.
At the time, Mdm Zhang refused to let Michael into her house.
Furious with the refusal, the man attempted to force entry,
resulting in Mdm Zhang summoning the police for help.
Three weeks after the first incident, Michael returned to Mdm
Zhang's house with some men. She was not at home to stop them and
the men made off with her property including furniture, appliances
and her computer. She lost more than $20,000 worth of property and
had to call the police for help again.
