MAN ARRESTED FOR OUTRAGE OF MODESTY WITHIN THREE HOURS AT TUAS CHECKPOINT

The Police have arrested a 24-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of outrage of modesty.

On 5 July 2023 at about 7.20pm, the Police received a call for assistance from a 33-year-old female victim informing that an unknown man had allegedly molested her in the vicinity of Bedok North Street 1.

Through ground enquiries, close coordination with the Police Operations Command Centre, and with the aid of Police cameras, officers from Bedok Police Division swiftly established the identity of the man. With the assistance of officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the Police arrested the man within three hours of the report at Tuas Checkpoint before he could depart Singapore. The swift arrest was made possible by the strong inter-agency cooperation between the Police and ICA.

Police investigations on the man are ongoing for the offence of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871. The offence of outrage of modesty carries an imprisonment term of up to 3 years, or with fine, or with caning, or with any combination of such punishments.

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. The Police would also like to urge members of the public to remain vigilant, and if they witness an incident of outrage of modesty, or are aware of someone being a victim of outrage of modesty, to report the matter to the Police immediately.

Safeguarding Singapore’s borders is ICA’s top priority. ICA will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to detect undesirables and keep Singapore safe.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
IMMIGRATION AND CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
07 July 2023 @ 3:20 PM

CRIME PREVENTION TIPS

Police would like to share some steps you can take to keep yourself and all our loved ones safe.

1. Be alert and attentive to your surroundings, especially when you are in a crowded and confined space (i.e. in public entertainment night spots, in lifts, MRT, buses etc.) or alone with a stranger that moves very near to you.
   
2. If someone rushes into the lift at the last minute and you are alone, it is safer to step out and take the next one.
   
3. If someone is following you, head to a crowded area; if someone moves uncomfortably close to you (e.g. someone deliberately stands or sits close to you in a bus or MRT), move away if possible.
   
4. Avoid going out at night alone. If you have to, go out in a group or get someone (parent, close friend) to accompany you.
   
5. Avoid letting your young children wander around alone, teach them to be wary and move away from strangers who try to get close to or touch them.
   
6. Consider investing in a shrill alarm for you and your loved ones as they can come in handy to sound for help during emergencies.

A man who was already under police investigation for mistreating his 10-year-old stepdaughter continued to subject her to physical mistreatment, resulting in her hospitalization.

On Friday, the 33-year-old man pleaded guilty to two counts of ill-treating a child and was subsequently sentenced earlier today (7 July) to 12 months in jail. Another similar charge was considered during the sentencing process.

To protect the victim’s identity, the accused’s name and the location of the home cannot be disclosed.

The victim, who is now 12 years old, is the biological daughter of the accused’s wife. The accused and his wife have been living together since 2014. Court documents revealed that the first incident occurred on February 8, 2019, when the man lifted the girl and threw her to the floor twice, causing bruises on her elbow and lower back.

Despite being under investigation for this offense, he continued to use physical force against her. According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Benedict Teong, on August 9, 2021, after returning home from work around 8:30 PM, the accused asked the girl if she had eaten the spaghetti that had been cooked earlier in the day. She initially claimed to have eaten it, but he later discovered it uneaten in the microwave.

DPP Teong stated, “(The accused) then asked the victim about it and the victim kept quiet. The accused then became angry, perceiving that the victim was lying.” He proceeded to kick her, causing her to fall, and even stepped on her body, assuming she was merely pretending.

Eventually, she apologized to him. Later that night, around 11:40 PM, she approached him and requested medicated oil for her injuries. While applying the oil, he noticed a bruise on her body.

The next day, the mother came home from work and smelled medicated oil before finding out that the girl had been kicked by her stepfather.

Despite being under investigation once again, the man committed another offense five months later.

On January 29, 2022, at approximately 6 PM, the man saw the victim using an iPad, which the girl said that she had only begun using it, but her sister told the man that she gave her the iPad earlier that morning. Enraged by what he perceived as a lie, he kicked her twice on the left side of her body.

“The second time he kicked her, she fell to the ground and hit her head on the edge of a speaker placed on the floor, causing a deep cut above her right eyebrow,” explained DPP Teong. Fearing the severity of the injury, he used a towel to stop the bleeding and called for an ambulance.

He falsely claimed that the girl had been injured by glass. The victim sustained a 4cm gash over her right eyebrow and a bruise on her left side, requiring stitches and a 10-day hospitalization.

DPP Teong argued that the accused had deliberately engaged in acts likely to cause unnecessary physical harm, constituting ill-treatment of his stepdaughter. Offenders convicted of ill-treating a child can face a maximum fine of $8,000 or up to eight years’ imprisonment, or both.

MAN AND WOMAN ARRESTED FOR HOUSEBREAKING AND THEFT

The Police have arrested a 29-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman for their suspected involvement in a case of housebreaking and theft.

On 26 June 2023, the Police were alerted to a case of housebreaking at a shop located at 83 Punggol Central. A bag containing cash $11 and some personal belongings were discovered to be stolen.

Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from Police cameras, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the identities of the suspects and arrested them on 5 July 2023.

Both will be charged in court on 6 July 2023 with the offence of housebreaking and theft with common intention under Section 451 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, and a fine.

The Police would like to advise all property owners to adopt the following crime prevention measures:

Secure all doors, roller shutters, windows and other openings with good quality grilles and close-shackled padlocks when leaving your premises unattended, even for a short while;

Refrain from leaving your items unattended; and

Install a burglar alarm, motion sensor light and/or close circuit surveillance camera to cover the access points into your premises. Ensure that they are tested periodically and are in good working condition.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
05 July 2023 @ 6:50 PM

Similar offences

A 42-year-old man was arrested on 28 March for breaking in and stealing from a unit along Sims Avenue.

On 28 Mar 2023 at about 10.15am, the Police were alerted to a case of housebreaking at a unit located along Sims Avenue. A travel document, cash and two pair of shoes amounting to a total value of $2900 were reported stolen.

Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from Police cameras, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on the same day. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is allegedly involved in another case of theft.

The man was charged in court on 30 March 2023 with housebreaking and theft under Section 451 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.

A disturbing incident involving a Malaysian woman renting a room in Singapore has resulted in a police report. The woman discovered through surveillance camera footage that her landlord had entered her room while she was away, and used her underwear for his own gratification, according to Shin Min Daily News.

The 23-year-old woman, who was residing on the third floor of Block 251 Kim Keat Link in Toa Payoh with her boyfriend, received a notification on her phone at 2:30 PM on May 17, indicating that someone was in her room.

To her shock, she discovered that the person in her room was her landlord. He had allegedly entered the room while she was at work, tampered with her underwear, and engaged in inappropriate behavior with it. Overwhelmed by the situation, the woman could not hold back her tears and felt compelled to capture the incident on video as evidence.

The woman promptly filed a police report on the same evening to report the trespassing and disturbing act. However, despite the evidence and the severity of the situation, the woman’s boyfriend stated that the landlord and his wife showed no remorse. Additionally, they refused to refund the room deposit of S$1,900 or return the rent for that month. Subsequently, the couple moved out and found alternative accommodation.

It is worth noting that the woman and her boyfriend had been renting the unit since June 2022 and had lived there for nearly a year. The flat housed a total of six people, including the married Singaporean couple who were the owners of the flat, as well as another Malaysian couple.

The discovery of the landlord’s inappropriate behavior was not accidental. Prior to the incident, the woman and her boyfriend had been warned about the landlord bringing people to the flat while the tenants were absent. As a result of this advice, they installed surveillance cameras in the room.

Following the distressing incident, the woman decided to dispose of all her underwear due to uncertainty about which ones had been tampered with. She also took the precaution of washing all her clothes. The traumatic experience caused her to suffer from nightmares and fear whenever she encountered individuals resembling her landlord.

Furthermore, her work performance declined, leading to difficulties with concentration and multiple absences from her job. However, with the assistance of professional help, she has made progress in her recovery.