Seven men, including two elderly, charged with molest
Police say rising trend of such cases a key concern, with 5 per cent increase in first half of this year
Molest cases are on the rise and the trend is a key concern for the police.
Just yesterday, seven men, including two elderly accused, were hauled to court for separate incidents of outrage of modesty. All of the men are now out on bail.
Lim Ah Bah, 73, allegedly molested a 40-year-old woman at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Tanjong Pagar on Oct 1 last year.
He was charged with two counts of outrage of modesty and two counts of insulting the woman's modesty.
Lim allegedly asked the victim inappropriate questions regarding her sex life and suggested her boyfriend perform a sex act on her for better blood circulation. He also performed the described sex act on her.
Yan Kok Fatt, 75, is alleged to have molested a 21-year-old woman at Midpoint Orchard on June 4.
Court documents allege that he molested the woman over her clothing on the first floor of the mall.
In other cases, Haji Mohamed Yusoof, 54, allegedly molested a 31-year-old woman in a taxi on Jan 4, while Ng Soon Hee, 47, allegedly molested a 26-year-old in Gangsa Road on March 22.
He also faces a charge for insulting the woman's modesty after he made a lewd comment about her body and another charge for impersonating a public servant.
On July 11, Muhammad Salihin Omar, 31, allegedly groped a 20-year-old woman on a monorail platform in Sentosa, while Loh Wai Cheong, 26, a Malaysian, allegedly groped a 24-year-old woman at Orchard MRT Station on June 5.
A 48-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, allegedly molested his family's maid three times in March and faces a total of three molest charges.
Police figures show that the number of outrage of modesty cases has risen 5 per cent to 837 in the first half of the year, up from the 797 cases in the same period last year.
It was previously reported that the number of outrage of modesty cases for the whole of last year was 1,747, a nearly 12 per cent increase compared to the 1,561 cases in 2017.
In a release on Sunday, the police said the increasing trend continues to be a key concern, and it will work with stakeholders and the community to prevent and deter cases of molest.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
The police also advise the public to adopt preventive measures, such as being aware of their surroundings, avoiding walks through dimly lit and secluded places or taking the lift with a stranger, and carrying a shrill alarm.
If molested, one should seek help immediately, take note of the suspect's prominent features and attire, and call 999 as soon as possible.
If it is safe to do so, the victim or other witnesses may assist to detain the suspect while waiting for the police to arrive.
Those convicted of outrage of modesty may be jailed for up to two years, or fined, or caned, or given any combination of the three.
If the victim is under 14, the maximum jail term is increased to five years.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
