SINGAPORE – Fifteen men, aged 21 to 68, were charged with molestation on Wednesday in separate cases.
They include the case of a 43-year-old operating technician who allegedly molested a woman, 31, while she was undergoing surgery at a medical centre at The Paragon in March 2022.
According to court documents, Mijos Policarpo Aranaydo, a Filipino and Singapore permanent resident, held onto the victim’s right hand and used it to rub against his groin. He was arrested at the scene.
In another case, Arora Tushar, 24, was handed two molestation charges after he allegedly touched the buttocks of two women, aged 29 and 31, at a hotel bar in Anson Road in January.
Separately, Solomon Duke Tneo Yruan Rui, 26, allegedly used criminal force on a 21-year-old man by rubbing his genitals repeatedly on the victim’s left thigh and groping the victim’s groin at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Tneo, an NTU student, also allegedly exposed himself to another man, 20.
Tneo was charged in court with one count of outrage of modesty and one count of sexual exposure.
In response to ST’s queries, an NTU spokesman said: “The incidents were not immediately reported to the university, but we are reaching out to and supporting the affected students. The accused individual is no longer staying on campus.”
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The spokesman said Tneo will be subjected to the university’s disciplinary proceedings if the court finds him guilty of the offences, adding that the university has zero tolerance for criminal misconduct.
Sixteen men were set to be charged with molestation on Wednesday, but one man did not appear in court.
Tan Yew Song, 60, was issued a warrant of arrest. He allegedly molested a 42-year-old woman in a shop in Rivervale Drive in November 2022.
Of the 15 men charged on Wednesday, two men committed outrage of modesty in nightclubs.
Song Kai, 33, allegedly molested a 21-year-old woman at a club in Clarke Quay, while Campbell Sean Ryan, 40, allegedly slapped the buttock of a woman, 22, at a club in Bayfront Avenue.
According to the annual crime statistics that the police released for 2022, nightspots were identified as places where molestation frequently occurred. There were 129 molestation cases at nightspots reported in 2022, compared with 21 in 2021.
Another three molest cases brought before the court on Wednesday took place in lifts.
In August 2022, Gopal Michael, 38, allegedly molested a 15-year-old girl in a lift of a housing block in Tiong Bahru.
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In April, Wael Mohamed Abdelmagid Ibrahim Kandil, 38, was arrested after he allegedly molested a woman in a lift after exiting a club at Marina Bay Sands. The Egyptian also allegedly touched and massaged the woman’s shoulder and made a gesture that insulted her modesty.
In May, Sim Kian Hong, 68, allegedly touched the chest of a 10-year-old girl in a lift of a housing block in Lengkok Bahru.
In another case, P. Mohan, 57, was charged after he allegedly grabbed a woman’s shoulder and forcibly kissed her on the neck. He also allegedly attempted to undo her shirt buttons. The location of his offences was redacted in court documents.
In January 2021, Liu Ming, 50, allegedly molested a 21-year-old woman, pulled down her face mask and attempted to kiss her in a residential unit in Fraser Street.
Meanwhile, Aw Soon Heng, 42, was charged with allegedly molesting a woman, 20, on a bus in September 2022.
Sivabalan Siva Prasad Menon, 42, is accused of molesting a woman, 26, on two occasions – on Oct 23 and 24, 2022, on Mediacorp Campus.
In December 2022, Umesh, 22, allegedly molested a 38-year-old woman at Mustafa Centre in Syed Alwi Road. A police report was lodged and he was arrested within an hour of the report’s filing.
Goh Hua Soon, 67, allegedly molested a woman, 32, at a massage centre in Bedok North in February.
Harith Aniq Azman, 21, was also charged on Wednesday after he allegedly molested a woman, 25, at a cafe in Bali Lane. He was detained by the woman’s boyfriend and was subsequently arrested on site.
The police said on Tuesday that outrage of modesty cases remain a key concern for them.
The total number of molestation cases jumped to 1,610 in 2022, compared with 1,474 in 2021.
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“We treat all reports seriously and will spare no effort to conduct our investigations thoroughly and expeditiously, which includes identifying and tracing the suspects through follow-up investigations and with the aid of police cameras and CCTV footage if they are unknown to the victims,” said the police.
Those found guilty of outrage of modesty may be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of these punishments.
Those who molest a victim below 14 years old may be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of these punishments.
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