Police: Outrage of modesty cases continue to be a crime of concern in Singapore

Outrage of modesty (OM) cases increased by 4.6% to 773 in the first half of 2022, from 739 in the same period last year. About two-thirds of the OM cases in the first half of 2022 were committed by known culprits. Cases committed by known culprits saw an increase of about 9.6% to 489 in the first half of 2022, from 446 in the same period last year, while cases committed by unknown culprits decreased by 3.1% to 284 in the first half of 2022, from 293 cases in the same period last year. In a press release, the police shared the following crime prevention tips to members of the public:

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 with you on a bus on MRT), move away if possible. You may also approach the bus captains or MRT station staff for assistance if you are commuting via public transport nodes.
4. Avoid going out at night alone. If you have to go out at a late hour, go out in a group or get someone (parent, close friend) to accompany you.
5. Avoid letting your young children wander 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 come in handy to sound for help during emergencies.

Outrage of modesty cases remains a crucial concern for the police. The police said that they have zero tolerance toward sexual offenders who threaten the personal safety of the community, and offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law. The police added that they will continue to work closely with stakeholders and the community to prevent and deter outrage of modesty cases. The police also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to report the matter to the police immediately; if they have witnessed an incident of outrage of modesty or are aware that someone is a victim of outrage of modesty. The police encouraged victims of sexual assault to come forward to report a crime. The police adopt a victim-centric approach for sexual crime investigations, and victims will be handled sensitively during the investigation process. Any information given to the police could bring a criminal to justice and prevent further harm to other persons. Two recent examples of such cases are as follows:

1. On 18 April 2022 at about 4.10pm, the police received a report where a 27-year-old woman was molested by an unknown 40-year-old man along Woodlands Avenue 6. Shortly after, the woman reported the incident to the police and provided a detailed description of the man, which helped the Police to identify him. Armed with the man’s description, the police trawled through police cameras’ footage in the area and later found a match which provided a crucial lead in establishing the identity of the man. Through extensive follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the 40-year-old man and arrested him within three days of the report. The 40-year-old man was charged with the offence of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) Chapter 224 of the Penal Code and was sentenced to four weeks of imprisonment on 4 May 2022.
2. On 21 March 2022 at about 1.10am, the police received a report where a 23-year-old woman was molested by an unknown 30-year-old man in the Woodlands MRT station. Subsequently, 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. Through extensive follow-up investigations and with the aid of CCTV images from the public transport operator, officers from Woodlands Police Division and Public Transport Security Command established the identity of the 30-year-old man through his travel pattern and arrested him within two days of the report. The man was charged with the offence of outrage of modesty under Section 354(1) of the Penal Code 1871 and was sentenced to one week of imprisonment on 29 March 2022.

The offence of outrage of modesty carries an imprisonment term which may extend to three years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments. If the victim is under 14 years of age, the offence of outrage of modesty carries an imprisonment term of up to five years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments. Police cameras, swift police actions and public education in solving OM The police said they take all reports of sexual assault seriously and will spare no effort to ensure that perpetrators are dealt with severely in accordance with the law. For cases involving unknown culprits, it is crucial that victims report such crimes early so that the police can act quickly to identify and arrest the perpetrators. The deployment of digital technologies such as police cameras and CCTVs, as well as vital and helpful information provided by victims who were quick to come forward (i.e. descriptions of the suspects including the type of clothing, distinctive facial/body features, the direction where the suspect travelled etc) have greatly assisted the police to solve many OM cases. The number of OM cases occurring within the public transport system, including public transportation nodes and on public transport, remains a concern. Victims aged between 13 and 29 made up about 63.8% of the total OM cases committed by unknown culprits — reported in the first half of 2022, which occurred within the public transport network. The police said that they continue to work closely with public transport operators and partners, including the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), to reach out to commuters to raise awareness about OM. In October 2022, the police will launch a new public education video on OM at MRT stations. Police also pledged to extend advisories through multiple platforms, including online channels such as social media platforms and digital applications. These advisories seek to educate the public on what they can do when they encounter such a crime, and remind them to stay vigilant and report the matter to the police if they encounter anything suspicious.

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