Eight men, aged between 23 and 67, were charged today in Court on 27 February 2018 for eight separate cases of Outrage of Modesty, committed between November 2016 and December 2017.
Brief details of the cases are as follows:
On 11 March 2017, the Police received a report that a 19-year-old woman was molested at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. A 29-year-old male suspect was arrested on the same day. He will also be facing an additional charge of Using Criminal Force against the woman for pulling her hair to stop her from leaving.
On 17 August 2017, the Police received a report that a 32-year-old woman was molested in a restaurant along Unity Street. A 42-year-old male suspect was arrested on the same day. He will also be facing additional charges of using criminal force, voluntarily causing hurt and using abusive words against a public servant.
On 24 September 2017, the Police received a report that a 39-year-old woman was molested in a hotel along Orchard Road. A 67-year-old male suspect was subsequently arrested. He is also facing an additional charge of Outrage of Modesty involving a 41-year-old woman for a separate incident reported on 2 October 2017.
On 8 and 11 November 2017, the Police received reports that a 55-year-old woman and a 46-year-old woman were molested by a cyclist along Toa Payoh Lorong 1 and Toa Payoh Lorong 8 respectively. On 15 November 2017, a 23-year-old male suspect involved in both incidents was arrested.
On 27 November 2017, the Police received a report that a 33-year-old woman was molested at a public entertainment outlet along Emerald Hill. The 33- year-old male suspect was arrested on the same day.
On 1 December 2017, the Police received a report that a 23-year-old woman was molested while exiting the lift at a HDB block along Sin Ming Avenue. The identity of the 28-year-old male suspect was established and he was subsequently arrested.
On 10 December 2017, the Police received a report that a 19-year-old woman was molested in a Private-Hire Vehicle at the basement carpark of a hotel located in Orchard Road. The identity of the 36-year-old male suspect was established and he was swiftly arrested on the same day. He is facing a total of three counts of Outrage of Modesty.
On 14 November 2016, the Police received a report that a 15-year-old girl was molested on a train heading from Bishan MRT Station towards Marymount MRT Station. The victim recounted two incidents on 8 and 9 November 2016 where she was molested by the same suspect. The identity of the 34-year old male suspect was subsequently established and he was arrested on 18 November 2016.
To prevent Outrage of Modesty cases from happening in public entertainment outlets, the Police have worked with operators on additional security measures such as the installation of closed-circuit televisions.
In addition, the operators are required to prevent overcrowding and ensure sufficient lighting within their premises.
Patrols are conducted in public transport areas by officers from the Public Transport Security Command to project Police presence and deter Outrage of Modesty cases.
In addition, the Police also actively disseminate crime prevention advice to commuters and these are done through posters, videos and crime prevention roadshows in areas such as trains, train stations and bus interchanges.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- Be aware of your surroundings and stay alert to any suspicious person(s).
- Avoid walking through dimly-lit and secluded places or taking the lift with a stranger.
- Have someone escort you home when returning alone late at night.
- Carry along with you a shrill alarm.
When patronizing public entertainment outlets or taking public transport:
- Be alert and attentive to your surroundings. Where possible, move away if someone stands or sits exceptionally close to you.
- If you are molested, seek help immediately from those around you. Take note of the prominent features and attire of the suspect as well as the direction in which he or she went. Call ‘999’ as soon as possible to increase the chances of apprehending the suspect early. If it is safe to do so, the victim or other witnesses of the crime may assist to detain the suspect while waiting for the Police to arrive.
Anyone convicted for the offence of Outrage of Modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code, Chapter 224 shall be punished with an imprisonment term, which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with caning, or with any combination of such punishments.
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