SINGAPORE: Crimes involving outrage of modesty continue to be a key concern for Singapore police amid a rise in the number of such cases.
There were 773 outrage of modesty cases in the first half of this year, a 4.6 per cent increase from the figure of 739 in the same period in 2021, according to mid-year crime statistics released by the police.
“The number of outrage of modesty cases occurring within the public transport system, including public transportation nodes and on public transport, remains a concern,” said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Wednesday (Aug 31).
Among the cases on the public transport network, 63.8 per cent involved victims aged between 13 and 29.
To raise awareness about such crimes, SPF said it will launch a new public education video at MRT stations.
“These advisories seek to educate the public on what they can do when they encounter such crime, and remind them to stay vigilant and report the matter to the police if they encounter anything suspicious,” said SPF.
For instance, the information provided by victims who were quick to report cases has helped to solve many cases, said the police, adding that useful details include descriptions of suspects and the direction in which they travelled.
Giving an example of a case in March, SPF said a man was arrested two days after an incident at Woodlands MRT station.
A 23-year-old woman had made a police report at about 1.10am, saying she was molested by an unknown man.
“The woman managed to take a photo of the man, which was useful information that she provided to the police when she reported the incident,” said SPF, adding that it worked with the public transport operator to establish the suspect’s identity through his travel pattern.
The man was sentenced to one week in jail on Mar 29.
The offence of outrage of modesty carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments.
If the victim is under 14 years old, the maximum jail term could extend to five years.
The police advised members of the public to move away if possible if someone gets “uncomfortably close”.
“Whenever possible, you may also approach the bus captains or MRT station staff for assistance if you are commuting via public transport nodes,” the police added.
“Outrage of modesty cases remain a key concern for the police,” said SPF.
“The police have zero tolerance towards sexual offenders who threaten the personal safety of the community and offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law.”