Mr. Vegas ADD

The Difficult Quest For Truth: Elaine Lim vs. Richie Stephens - Jamaica's #MeToo

10/08/2021 by Reggaeville

The truth hurts - both victim and culprit. The former because going through the ordeal all over again is painful, the latter because the offence harms his or her image and may entail penalty or imprisonment. Much more difficult than establishing this simple fact, however, is the determination of what the truth is.

Recently, the case of Elaine Lim (aka General Ling) vs. Richard Stephenson (aka Richie Stephens) has created a public stir after Lim shared a 25-minute video on YouTube (watch below), accusing the Jamaican entertainer of rape. In an interview with the Jamaica Star (October 5th, 2021), Lim said that she saw "Tanya Stephens sharing her account of sexual abuse, which gave me the courage to share". 

Following Lim's public accusation, Richie Stephens published a counter-video (watch below) claiming that Lim is lying and that the Australian police, after thorough investigation, had dropped all charges against him. 

The incident, as recounted by Lim in her video, happened during the joint Jamaican Flava Tour of Richie Stephens and Singaporean artist Masia One in November 2019, which had a few stops in Australia as well. Elaine Lim was part of said tour in charge of management and video shooting duties for Masia One.  

After Lim told her about the incident, Masia One cancelled all remaining appearances with Stephens and offered her support to Lim. The two females have published a track called Not All That Glitters Is Gold [watch it here] in which the issue is addressed.

Lim says that she reported the incident to local police immediately after it happened, and even though Stephens was interrogated by the investigating officer, he wasn't detained and was allowed to leave the country. On January 19th 2021, Elaine Lim was informed by the Victoria Police, Australia, that her charges agains Mr. Stephens will not be pursued, as "there is insufficient evidence to proceed to trial". 

From the information presented here, you can come to your own conclusions - in the end, only the two people concerned know what really happened. May justice prevail! 

FRIDAY - OCTOBER 1, 2021
Video Statement by Elaine Lim: The Truth about Richie Stephens in Australia 2019 [watch here]
"Hi my name is Elaine Lim aka. General Ling. This is my account of what happened in Australia, Nov 2019 during the Jamaican Flava Tour with the perpetrator in question: Richie Stephens. Not All That Glitters is Gold, Not All That Shines is the Light, You Can Say It Wasn't Told, But When The Truth Is Out People Will Know. Disclaimer: I want to clarify that dressing is a non-issue on such cases. In fact, the responsibility is never on the survivor, but heavily dependent on the perp's intention and self control. This is an act of control and blatant disregard of a person. No, is a no. There's nothing else to it." 

SATURDAY - OCTOBER 2, 2021
Video Statement: Richie Stephens Sets The Record Straight [watch here]
"Initially I said I wasn't going to say anything. But now I think I owe it to my family, to my friends and to my friends to come out and set the record straight." (Please note: The original upload on Richie Stephens' channel has been removed. We have embedded a re-upload on a third party channel.)

RICHIE STEPHENS DENIES RAPE ALLEGATION
[Jamaica Observer by Claude Mills]
Entertainer dismisses accuser's story as 'staged performance'
"Reggae singer Richie Stephens has categorically denied rape allegations levied against him by a 27 year-old female entertainer and ex-soldier from Singapore."

GENERAL LING INSISTS SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS SHE LAID AGAINST RICHIE STEPHENS ARE TRUE
[dancehallmag.com by Claudia Gardner]
"Two years after he categorically denied rape allegations levelled against him in Australia, whilst on his Jamaican Flava tour, ‘Bad Bull’ singer Richie Stephens, is now under the microscope as the woman at the epicentre of the controversy, an ex-soldier who served in the Singapore Armed Forces, has revealed herself."

RICHIE STEPHENS SAYS GENERAL LING’S “BASELESS” ACCUSATIONS ‘DO NOT HELP #METOO MOVEMENT’
[dancehallmag.com by Claudia Gardner]
"General Ling’s rape allegations against Reggae artist Richie Stephens, have taken another twist, with the former Motown singer releasing a public video statement, once again repudiating the claims by the Chinese-Singaporean artist and beatboxer."

SUNDAY - OCTOBER 3, 2021
BOUNTY KILLER SAYS HE’S DEFENDING ‘RULE OF LAW’ NOT RICHIE STEPHENS
[dancehallmag.com by Claudia Gardner]
"Bounty Killer has appealed to his female fans to not misconstrue his analysis of the Richie Stephens rape allegations as biased, after a bevy of them accused him, yesterday, of taking sides."

'STRICTLY PROFESSIONAL', SAYS RICHIE STEPHENS OF RELATIONSHIP WITH ELAINE LIM
[The Jamaica Gleaner by Stephanie Lyew]
"Veteran recording artiste Richie Stephens has denied the sexual-abuse accusations made by the Chinese entertainer and entrepreneur, Elaine Lim."

RICHIE STEPHENS DENIES SEXUALLY ASSAULTING GENERAL LING, HIRES ATTORNEY
[urbanislandz.com by Soje Leslie]
"Reggae singer Richie Stephens on Saturday night denied that he raped a 27-year-old Singapore entertainer, General Ling, who was formerly a part of his entourage. […] Richie Stephens admitted that the woman was on tour with him in 2019, but he did not deny that he had sex with her or had been involved with her in any way. He instead spoke to the allegations."

MONDAY - OCTOBER 4, 2021
THE MR. VEGAS SHOW: ELAINE LIM STORY [watch here]
Facebook Live Stream hosted by Mr.Vegas
"The Mr Vegas Show: As a father, it is imperative that I listen more and speak less. Tonight's guests. Elaine LIM, Zack (her husband) and Marlene Hickmam: Therapist, survivor and Author."

NO DECISION YET ON NEXT MOVE, SAYS RICHIE STEPHENS’ ATTORNEY
[The Jamaica Gleaner by Stephanie Lyew]
"Richie Stephens’ lawyer Christopher Townsend says no decision has yet been made on the next step for his client.
On Friday, Elaine Lim, a Singapore-based beatboxer and video editor, who goes by the moniker General Ling, uploaded a video to YouTube in which she alleged that she was sexually assaulted by the Jamaican entertainer while on tour in Australia two years ago. “This happened in 2019; here we’re at 2021, and I still remember,” said a tearful Lim of the alleged incident."

RICHIE STEPHENS CONTEMPLATING LAWSUIT AFTER ASSAULT ACCUSATIONS
[Jamaica Star by Stephanie Lyew]
"Attorney for reggae-soul singer Richie Stephens, Christopher Townsend, said they are not ruling out a lawsuit against an Asian woman who has rehashed allegations that Stephens sexually assaulted her."

BOUNTY KILLER & FOOTA HYPE DEFENDS RICHIE STEPHENS ANGERING SOME FEMALE FANS
[urbanislandz.com by Soje Leslie]
"Bounty Killer and Foota Hype are among the voices which strongly support Richie Stephens in the height of a rape allegation leveled against him by Singapore entertainer General Ling who claims that the artist raped her in 2019, but the case couldn’t go further because there was insufficient evidence to charge him."

TUESDAY - OCTOBER 5, 2021
TANYA STEPHENS SAYS VERBAL ATTACKS ON GENERAL LING A SYMPTOM OF RAPE CULTURE
[dancehallmag.com by Claudia Gardner]
"Tanya Stephens has listed accusations of lying, public victim-blaming and shaming laid against victims of rape who come public, as the fundamental reasons she will never reveal the name of the artist who sexually assaulted her some 30 years ago."

ELAINE LIM FOUND COURAGE IN TANYA STEPHENS’ STORY
[Jamaica Star by Stephanie Lyew]
"Asian beatboxer and video editor Elaine Lim says that hearing Tanya Stephens talk about being raped has motivated her to turn the attention on reggae recording artiste Richie Stephens, who, she alleges, sexually assaulted her while on tour in Melbourne, Australia, two years ago."

RICHIE FIGHTS BACK 
[Jamaica Observer by Kediesha Perry]
"Attorney-at-law Christopher Townsend yesterday confirmed that Australian police have thrown out the sexual abuse case involving singer Richie Stephens. 'The matter never made it to the court. The police conducted their investigation and determined that the accuser's story was too incredible, so it was thrown out. Mr Stephens is just continuing with his life'." 

GENERAL LING STICKING TO HER GUNS 
[The Jamaica Gleaner by Stephanie Lyew]
"Despite the Australian police confirming the Richie Stephens rape case has been closed, Elaine Lim is vowing to continue her fight. It was midnight in Singapore when The Gleaner spoke to Lim, but the former soldier in the Singapore Armed Forces, who also goes by the moniker General Ling, is up and about, contemplating her next move."

RAPE KIT NEVER ANALYSED IN RICHIE STEPHENS PROBE, MEMO CLAIMS
[The Jamaica Gleaner by by Kimone Francis]
"The 2019 sexual assault case involving recording artiste Richie Stephens came to a close after the police in Australia concluded that there was insufficient evidence to proceed, though the findings of a rape kit were never analysed. The revelation..."

AUSSIE POLICE CONFIRM RICHIE STEPHENS RAPE CASE CLOSED
[The Jamaica Gleaner by by Kimone Francis]
"Other artiste recalls stumbling on visibly shaken accuser; no lawsuit coming as attorney won’t throw away money."

RICHIE STEPHENS WEIGHS LAWSUIT, AUSTRALIA’S POLICE DEPT CONFIRMS RAPE CASE CLOSED
[urbanislandz.com by Soje Leslie]
"A senior cop who worked on the case has told Jamaican media that the case with Richie Stephens, who has been accused of rape in November 2019 while they were in Melbourne, Australia, for a music tour, says that the case has been closed."

TUESDAY - OCTOBER 12, 2021
RICHIE STEPHENS, TANYA STEPHENS, QUEEN IFRICA AND THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT ACT
[Jamaica Observer]
"In the proverbial chicken or egg situation, we don't know which came first — the passage of the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act, 2021 or the decision of some of our top female artistes to speak out against sexual abuse in their industry. But it is both refreshing and frightening at the same time to see the women emerging, one after the other, to expose the sordid experiences they have been suffering at the hands of men who clearly believe themselves to be God's gift to women and, therefore, entitled to their bodies."

NOVEMBER 2019
RICHIE STEPHENS RESPONDS TO SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
[dancehallmag.com by Dani Mallick]
"Jamaican singer Richie Stephens has taken to Instagram recently to clear his name of allegations of sexual assault charges that were recently brought against him."

RICHIE STEPHENS ADDRESSES SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS - SAYS IT WAS ATTEMPT TO SMEAR HIS REPUTATION
[Jamaica Star]
"Stephens said that the matter had been thoroughly investigated by the authorities "who found no merit" in the allegations.
Stephens did not name the accusers but also posted: "Their actions are regrettable and so they are no longer a part of this tour. The malicious behaviour of others shall not deter me from my professional approach to my craft."