Last October, a gutsy young lady noticed something amiss when a man started getting too close for comfort. Her suspicions were proven right as she noticed the man trying to capture photos of her underwear from under her skirt.
Outraged, she turned and kicked the pervert in the chest. She then pinned the man to the wall as she swiped the pervert’s phone from his grasp before calling the police. Police arrived shortly after to take the man into custody.
As the pervert was led away by police, the brave young woman, Ms Chan, told him: “Good luck to you. You are so unlucky to have met me.”
Unfortunately, this story does not turn out the way most people expected.
10 months after his arrest, the pervert was issued a police warning and the case was closed. The police would not be taking any further action against the upskirt photographer.
This is despite clear precedents of upskirt photographers being charged in court under S509 of the Penal Code. According to the Singapore Criminal Lawyer blog, “Insult of Modesty covers non-physical acts of sexual harassment. This includes, but is not limited to, taking of up-skirt photographs of women, flashing, uttering vulgarities intended to insult women.”
“Insult of Modesty is defined by S509 of the Penal Code: whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman.”
Upon receiving notification from the police about the conclusion of her case, Ms Chan posted the news on her Facebook page, which was met with collective disappointment in the Singapore Police Force’s (lack of) action. Many netizens wondered why the police force took 10 whole months to pursue what seemed like a straight forward case before eventually turning up empty handed.
If anything, this case might serve as an unhealthy precedent for future offenders, who may be emboldened to take the risk of upskirt photography to satisfy their vain pleasures.
Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com
