---
title: "‘True love is tested in hardship’: Lev Panfilov on girlfriend who stood by him through 5-year legal ordeal"
url: "/community-voices/true-love-tested-hardship-lev-panfilov-girlfriend-who-stood-him-through-5-year-legal-ordeal"
published: "2026-10-30T10:10:24.000Z"
updated: "2026-10-30T10:12:15.000Z"
section: "Community Voices"
authors: ["Ethel Tseng"]
tags: ["Lev Panfilov","girlfriend","Court of Appeal","sexual assault","acquittal","community-voices","TNP News"]
---
# ‘True love is tested in hardship’: Lev Panfilov on girlfriend who stood by him through 5-year legal ordeal
*“I’ll stay with you. However long you need.” That was the promise Lev Panfilov said his girlfriend made after he was convicted of rape — a case that could have kept him behind bars for 11 and a half years.*
“I’ll stay with you. However long you need.”
That was the promise Lev Panfilov said his girlfriend made after he was convicted of rape — a case that saw him sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison.
What followed was years of legal battles, holding hands in court, exchanging song lyrics through e-letters and brief prison visits that became their “20-minute dates”.
Through it all, his girlfriend stood by him, even as she faced criticism from those around her.
Today, following his acquittal, Panfilov says their relationship is stronger than ever.
## Accused of rape after Tinder date
Panfilov, a former actor and scriptwriter with comedy channel Wah!Banana, was accused of raping and sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder in January 2021.
Speaking to Stomp, the 30-year-old Russian national and Singapore permanent resident recalled that the woman had returned with him to his apartment after a dinner date, where things became more intimate.
They parted ways shortly after. Although she texted him the next morning, he did not respond as he felt there was no reason to continue their conversation.
He maintained that the sexual acts were consensual, but the woman subsequently lodged a police report alleging sexual assault.
A week later, he was questioned by police, and was subsequently charged in December 2021 with two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration and one count of outrage of modesty.
## Entered into a relationship just before he was charged
Panfilov first met his girlfriend through a mutual friend at a house gathering in 2015, although they were merely acquaintances at the time.
They did not start dating until November 2021, shortly before he was charged.
About a week before his first court appearance in December 2021, Panfilov told her that he was facing rape charges.
He recalled being surprised by how calmly she reacted.
“She was just like, ‘Okay, I understand you. We’ll get through it together.’ And I think that that calmness is what helped me get through.”
The pair became a couple that December, and she continued to stand by him as the legal proceedings unfolded.
During court hearings, the pair would hold hands through gaps between the courtroom dock and the public gallery.
However, the legal battle took a toll on their relationship.
Panfilov said his girlfriend faced criticism from friends who questioned why she remained with him.
Some even stopped speaking to her, while others encouraged her to find someone else.
In December 2023, Panfilov was arrested and remanded for attempting to leave Singapore without court permission.
He described the decision as “foolish”, explaining that he had acted in the heat of the moment to visit his grandfather in Russia, who was experiencing health problems.
While he was in remand, his girlfriend visited him at least once a week, sometimes two or three times.
He was convicted in March 2025 and sentenced in May that year to 11 and a half years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane.
## She stayed by his side
When he was convicted, his girlfriend reassured him that she would wait for him.
“She said: ‘I’ll stay with you. However long you need.’ At that point in time, I think I still had another six years to go, so that was quite reassuring,” he recalled.
She even sent him the lyrics to Die With A Smile, a song by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, something he described as the “embodiment of (his) journey of hope in prison”.
“Wherever you go, that’s where I’ll follow. Nobody’s promised tomorrow,” he quoted.
After he was sentenced, she continued visiting him about once a month, with another visit reserved for his family.
Panfilov recalled how she would put on make-up and dress up for their brief meetings, which he affectionately called their “20-minute dates”.
Unable to make the same effort with his appearance, he would instead tell her how much he appreciated her visits.
“Sometimes people just need to hear how much you love them and that you appreciate what they’re doing for you,” he said.
While he looked forward to every visit, Panfilov admitted that returning to his cell afterwards was particularly difficult, knowing it would be some time before he could see his loved ones again.
Still, those brief moments together gave him something to look forward to.
## Girlfriend faced fear of being ostracised
It wasn’t always smooth sailing for the couple.
Panfilov recalled that they had their fair share of arguments, although their exchanges were limited to carefully rationed e-letters.
Sometimes, his girlfriend would raise concerns about his past behaviour and ask him not to repeat it when he was released from prison.
Panfilov said he would reassure her, explaining that those incidents had happened years ago and that he had since changed.
He added that the lack of everyday interaction made it harder for them to resolve disagreements.
“It’s more of this feeling of void, this lack of intellectual contention that you can get with your partner,” he explained.
Beyond their arguments, Panfilov said his girlfriend struggled with the pressure of having others know about her personal life.
She was sometimes hesitant to tell people that her boyfriend was in prison, fearing that she would be ostracised.
He also recalled that other men had expressed interest in her while he was in prison, which she was open with him about.
“But she was always very loyal,” he said.
## Couple share emotional reunion
The couple finally saw light at the end of the tunnel when the Court of Appeal acquitted Panfilov of all four charges on Sept 2, citing inconsistencies in the woman’s testimony.
After his release, he made his way to his girlfriend’s home, but she was not there when he arrived. He called her, and they spoke while she made her way back.
Panfilov recalled the novelty of being able to speak to her for more than 30 minutes without having to end the conversation.
When she finally returned home, the pair held each other in a long embrace that lasted several minutes.
Looking back on the ordeal, Panfilov felt their relationship had grown stronger despite the time apart.
He now hopes to build a future with her, with marriage and starting a family among their plans — provided she agrees, he added with a laugh.
“True love is tested in ordeal, in hardship,” he said. “And it also takes time to forge these ties.”
## ‘The court has acquitted me’: Panfilov
While Panfilov is focused on moving forward, his acquittal has also sparked discussion about whether the woman’s allegations were fabricated.
Asked about comments questioning whether his acquittal amounted to proof of innocence, Panfilov acknowledged the legal distinction but said he had “always maintained [his] innocence”.
He said he understood that some people might remain sceptical, though he felt it was not his responsibility to change their minds.
“Look, some people will believe what they want to believe. I can’t change everyone’s mind, and frankly, I don’t intend to,” he added.
“I’ve been acquitted. Now I just want to get on with my life.”
## Moving forward
With his life outside prison beginning to take shape, Panfilov is also looking to return to the creative industry.
He has started a recruitment and headhunting company, Found Partners, which he hopes will provide a financial foundation for his creative pursuits.
While he worked in recruitment before his imprisonment, he said his “heart and soul belongs in the creative world”.
He said he has been approached about acting opportunities and possible adaptations of his story for film or television, and is also writing a book about his experience.
For now, Panfilov is trying not to dwell on the past.
“The future is bright,” he said, adding that he was grateful for the chance to live it.