Eight men, aged between 19 and 66, will be charged in court on 1 November 2023 for their suspected involvement in separate cases of outrage of modesty.
The cases are as follows:
- On 24 October 2022, a 19-year-old man allegedly molested four different women, aged between 18 and 23, within and outside the entrance of a club along Cecil Street. The man was subsequently arrested at scene by Police officers who attended to the incident. The man will be charged with six counts of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871.
- On 26 October 2022, a 51-year-old man allegedly molested a 13-year-old girl at a playground along Kampong Wak Hassan. A police report was lodged on the following day. Through swift follow-up investigations, Police officers arrested the man within 12 hours of the report. The man will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty of a person below 14 years of age under Section 354(2) of the Penal Code 1871.
- On 12 February 2023, a 54-year-old man allegedly molested a 17-year-old man in the lift of a HDB block along Telok Blangah Drive. The man will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871.
- On 21 May 2023, a 28-year-old man allegedly molested a 37-year-old woman at a lift landing of a HDB block along Toh Guan Road. Through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from Police cameras and CCTV cameras, the Police managed to identify the man within the same day. The man will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871.
- On 4 July 2023, a 66-year-old man allegedly molested a 14-year-old girl on board a public bus along Bukit Batok West Avenue 5. Through extensive follow-up investigations and ground enquiries, the Police managed to establish the man’s identity. The man will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871.
- On 26 August 2023, a 21-year-old-man allegedly molested a 24-year-old woman at a club along Bayfront Avenue. The man was detained at the club and subsequently arrested at scene by Police officers who attended to the incident. The man will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871.
- On 10 September 2023, a 40-year-old man allegedly molested a 23-year-old woman within a club along Bayfront Avenue. Through extensive follow-up investigations, the Police managed to establish the man’s identity and arrested him on 14 September 2023. The man will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871.
- On 29 September 2023, a 30-year-old man allegedly molested a 21-year-old woman at a casino along Bayfront Avenue. The man was subsequently arrested at scene by Police officers who attended to the incident. The man will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871.
The offence of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term which may extend to three years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments.
The offence of outrage of modesty of a person below 14 years of age under Section 354(2) of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term which may extend to five years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments.
Outrage of modesty cases remain a key concern for the Police. The Police treat all reports seriously and will spare no effort to conduct our investigations thoroughly and expeditiously, which includes identifying and tracing the suspects through follow-up investigations and with the aid of Police cameras and CCTV footage if they are unknown to the victims. The Police may also place the suspects under arrest for investigations and may prosecute them in court subsequently. The Police have zero tolerance towards sexual offenders who threaten the personal safety of those in the community, and offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law.
The Police will continue to work closely with various stakeholders, such as public entertainment outlets, public transport operators, and the community, to prevent and deter outrage of modesty cases. The Police would also like to urge members of the public to remain vigilant and to report the matter to the Police immediately, if they witness an incident of outrage of modesty, or are aware of someone being a victim of outrage of modesty.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
31 October 2023 @ 4:00 PM