A 20-year-old man was caught red-handed while trying to upskirt a Korean woman at an MRT station. The victim spotted the act and called the police. As he tried to escape, the man pushed her to the ground, injuring her, but was eventually caught by a member of the public.
The accused, Benjamin Kow, 20, pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism at the State Courts on Monday (April 7).
The victim is a 29-year-old South Korean woman. To protect her identity, the judge has ordered that no details that could reveal her identity — including her name — be published.
According to court documents, the incident took place at around 11:43 pm on September 24 last year. Kow was on the escalator heading towards Exit D at Paya Lebar MRT Station when he noticed the victim, who was wearing a skirt, standing in front of him. He then took out his phone and began filming up her skirt.
During the act, Kow’s phone accidentally touched the victim’s calf, alerting her. She turned around, saw him holding the phone, and suspected that she had been filmed. She then demanded to check his phone.
At first, Kow complied and handed over his phone. Upon inspection, the victim found a video of herself being filmed, along with a series of blurry upskirt images. She immediately called the police.
While the victim was calling the police, Kow suddenly snatched back his phone and tried to run. According to the charges, he pushed the victim during the escape, causing her to fall and injure her elbow and ankle.
A bystander witnessed the incident and, upon hearing the victim’s plea for help, immediately gave chase on a bicycle. The man managed to stop Kow.
Kow was arrested at 1:05 am on September 25. The charge sheet also revealed that while waiting for the police to arrive, Kow deleted the upskirt footage from his phone in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The court has adjourned sentencing to June 16.
