Family of underage girl withdraws lawsuit against Ian Fang, says she wishes to move forward with her life

The family of the underage girl who was sexually assaulted by former actor Ian Fang has decided to end the civil lawsuit against him.

Instead, they wish to cut off all remaining ties and move forward with their lives, the family's legal representative said, according to 8world.

The decision comes after authorities announced on Feb. 5 that Fang’s Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) status has been revoked, and that he will be deported upon completing his prison sentence.

Lawyer confirms family instructed suit to be dropped

Fang was jailed in May 2025 after he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexually penetrating an underage girl.

At the time, the victim’s mother said she intended to pursue Fang through civil action and “sue him until he’s bankrupt”.

He had been 34 when he met the girl, then 14, at an entertainment event.

They had sex on at least nine occasions, mostly unprotected, and the girl reportedly contracted the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually-transmitted disease, during their relationship.

In response to media queries, lawyer Richard Siaw, the family’s legal representative, confirmed that the girl’s parents had since instructed him to discontinue the civil litigation against Fang, reported 8world.

The firm had been preparing legal documents, including a statement of claim, but the family ultimately decided not to proceed further.

According to Siaw, the family took into account the potentially lengthy nature of civil proceedings, which could stretch beyond Fang’s deportation from Singapore.

They were also concerned that renewed public attention from a drawn-out court process could cause the victim further distress.

After consulting the girl, she expressed a wish to “not have anything to do with him anymore”, and her family chose to respect that request.

Siaw added that the family felt reassured by the revocation of Fang’s PR status, viewing that and his impending deportation as a form of justice.

They also believe that he had "received his due punishment" by losing his status in Singapore, 8world reported.

Victim said to be recovering and regaining confidence

The girl has gradually emerged from the shadow of the incident, with her life returning to normal, Siaw said.

He said that the family is grateful for the public’s concern and support during the case.

While the family felt that Fang should not have evaded caning, they have since accepted the court’s ruling and chosen to focus on closure rather than further legal action.

"They believe that Singapore’s justice system is fair, ensuring that the rights of both citizens and residents are appropriately protected and that criminals receive their due punishment."

Previously, the victim's mother said after the sentencing that Fang deserved to be caned and that she hoped the authorities would review the case.

"He must be caned. If he was caned, there would always be a scar on his buttocks, so he can't go out and seduce others," she said.

Siaw also praised the victim's parents for their decisive action in reporting the crime to the police and demanding the exposure of Fang's identity.

PR status revoked for having sex with underage girl

The ill-fated relationship came to public attention after the prosecution applied for Fang's identity to be disclosed.

The judge granted the request and lifted the gag order, stating that he was acting in accordance with the wishes of the victim and her family.

Subsequent interviews with the victim's mother revealed that the former actor had allegedly "coerced and lured" the girl, using his celebrity status to "trick her into bed".

Following his conviction, ICA told Mothership that it would review Fang's PR status.

It was officially revoked on Feb. 5, and he will be deported upon completing his 40-month sentence.

He will also be permanently barred from re-entering Singapore.

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Top photos via ian_ianization/Instagram