A 14-year-old girl broke down in tears as she told her mother that for the past two months, she had been repeatedly approached by a strange man on her way to school in Hougang.
According to the girl, the man complimented her appearance and persistently asked for her phone number. Alarmed and furious, her mother lodged a police report.
The man later defended himself, claiming he simply felt a connection with the girl and only engaged in casual conversation. He insisted he had not followed or harassed her.
Encounters the strange man nearly every morning
According to Shin Min Daily News, the girl’s mother, Ms Wu (48, sales assistant), said in an interview that since the Lunar New Year, her daughter had encountered the man nearly every morning near the playground beside Block 531, Hougang Avenue 6.
Each time he saw the girl, he would follow behind her, compliment her looks, and pester her for her phone number. Ms Wu said her daughter had been frightened but remained silent — until March 26, when she finally opened up and shared the experience.
Ms Wu was shocked and immediately asked whether her daughter had been physically assaulted. Her daughter assured her that she had not been harmed.
It is believed the man showed up at the block almost daily. Whenever he saw the girl, he would follow her to a nearby junction and, about two to three times a week, would strike up a conversation.
“He would ask which school she went to and request her phone number,” Ms Wu said. “When she refused, he even asked her for just the last four digits so he could use them to buy 4D,” she continued.
“My daughter was crying as she spoke,” she added. “I was terrified when I heard it. We promised her she would be protected and took her to the police station that very day to file a report.”
On the evening of Tuesday (April 8), reporters encountered the man in question, Mr Lin (62, crane operator), at the location. He revealed that he works at a nearby construction site and occasionally visits the playground for exercise. He said he had spoken to the girl only because he felt they had a good rapport.
“I just thought she was easy to talk to and cracked a few jokes,” he said. “I know she’s underage, so I wouldn’t do anything inappropriate. I wasn’t following or harassing her.”
Mr Lin added that if the girl had felt uncomfortable, she could have told him directly. He also welcomed her parents to speak with him if they had concerns.
“This is the first time something like this has happened to me,” he said. “I won’t speak to her again, and I won’t casually talk to young girls in future.”
The police have confirmed that a report has been filed.
Mother changes daughter’s school routine to avoid the man
Since learning of the incidents, Ms Wu has been accompanying her daughter every day and has adjusted her daughter’s travel routine to avoid the man.
From the end of March, she has either walked her daughter to school or seen her off to ensure her safety. She has also advised her to take different bus routes and avoid leaving home at a fixed time. On some days, they leave earlier than usual to reduce the chance of meeting the man.
“There were a few times I sent her off and saw the man sitting near the playground, looking around,” Ms Wu said. “My daughter also said that on some days, she saw him waiting there while she was on the bus. Since her school dismissal time varies, I’m less concerned in the afternoons.”
Photo shared online, man lodges police report over reputational damage
Ms Wu shared the man’s photo online, which prompted Mr Lin to file a police report, claiming that the post had damaged his reputation.
She explained that, out of concern, she had consulted a friend who helped her upload the incident and the photo to Facebook — to raise public awareness and serve as a warning.
In response, Mr Lin stated that he had not broken any laws, and that sharing his photo publicly had caused harm to his name. Angry over the situation, he lodged a police report on Tuesday.
“A friend informed me I was being posted online,” he said. “If they were unhappy, they should’ve come to speak to me directly. I have a family — children in their 20s and 30s, and even a young grandchild. My wife and kids told me to report this.”
Ms Wu rejected his explanation, saying that even if his intentions were merely to be friendly, it was still inappropriate to try to “befriend” her daughter — especially if he was appearing downstairs every day. She said she hoped he would stop immediately and indicated that she would remove the Facebook post.
