SINGAPORE - A 71-year-old man is expected to be charged over allegedly molesting and insulting the modesty of two male teenagers on public transport on two separate occasions.
He allegedly molested and insulted the modesty of an 18-year-old youth on a public bus on May 17, 2023, and did the same to a 15-year-old boy on a train on May 20 the same year. The man is set to be charged with four counts of outrage of modesty and two counts of insulting the modesty of a person.
He is among nine men, aged 26 to 71, who are expected to be charged in court on May 6 over their suspected involvement in separate cases of molestation, said the police on May 5 in a press statement.
The other cases involve:
- A 68-year-old man who allegedly molested a 43-year-old man on March 30, 2024, at a shop in Marina View. The suspect will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty.
- A 37-year-old man who allegedly molested an 18-year-old woman on Feb 24, 2024, at a beach club in Siloso Beach Walk. He will be charged with two counts of outrage of modesty.
- A 48-year-old man who allegedly molested a 35-year-old woman on Feb 1, 2024, at a bistro in Selegie Road. He will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty.
- A 55-year-old man who allegedly molested a 20-year-old man on Jan 25, 2024, in the lift of a commercial building in Yishun Industrial Street 1. He will be charged with three counts of outrage of modesty.
- A 49-year-old man who allegedly molested a 46-year-old woman on Dec 14, 2023, at a shop in Upper Cross Street. The man will be charged with two counts of outrage of modesty.
- A 41-year-old man who allegedly molested a 40-year-old woman on Dec 8, 2023, at a commercial building in Kim Seng Promenade. He will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty.
- A 26-year-old man who allegedly molested a 25-year-old woman on Oct 8, 2023, at the lift lobby of a residential block in Teban Gardens Road. He will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty.
- A 35-year-old man who allegedly molested a 23-year-old woman on a public bus on July 21, 2023. He will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty.
The offence of outrage of modesty carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments.
To raise awareness of outrage of modesty and molestation cases on public transport, the Singapore Police Force’s Public Transport Security Command in November 2023 launched the “police concept train” on the North East Line at HarbourFront MRT station. It ran for four weeks.
The train’s six carriages featured cautionary messages on the sides and some floors of their interiors, warning would-be perpetrators against committing such crimes.
This was the first of five concept trains to be rolled out by February 2024 in partnership with the Land Transport Authority, National Crime Prevention Council, SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation.
The Straits Times has contacted the police for an update on the implementation of the initiative.
For four to six weeks each, the other four trains will run on the East-West Line, North-South Line, Circle Line and Downtown Line, ST reported on Nov 2, 2023.
