A 35-year-old man was arrested for his suspected involvement in a case of outrage of modesty on Sep. 8 in the vicinity of Kranji MRT station.
He allegedly groped the breast of a sleeping woman, then hid in the toilet and changed his outfit to avoid being caught.
Woman was asleep
A passerby, Ma (transliteration), told that he heard a commotion while resting in a field beside the station on Sep. 7 at around 11pm.
He then saw a woman on the move, as if she were looking for someone.
"Initially, she was sleeping on a mat. I heard that a drunk migrant worker groped her chest while she was sleeping, and she was now looking for the perpetrator," Ma recalled.
The lady later sought help from the station staff.
Hid in toilet for 15 minutes
The victim and the station staff waited outside the station's toilet as the victim claimed she saw the man enter the facility.
After 15 minutes, the man exited the toilet, according to Ma.
He was wearing a white t-shirt and was without headwear.
Ma pointed out that before the incident, he had seen the man, who looked to be around 30 to 40 years old, in a red t-shirt and wearing a cap.
He saw the man hanging out around the area and found him suspicious.
Man tried to flee
The man was brought to the passenger service centre by the staff and was questioned.
"From afar, I could hear the staff telling the man that they would be calling the police. Upon hearing that, the man tried to flee. The staff and woman gave chase. They managed to catch up with him when the man tripped," Ma told Shin Min.
Police arrived at the scene shortly after and only left around 1am or 2am.
People take takes at Kranji MRT station
According to Shin Min, it is not uncommon for people to be seen taking naps in the vicinity of Kranji MRT station during the wee hours.
They may possibly be workers who arrive in Singapore ahead of time to avoid the Woodlands Causeway rush hour, Shin Min wrote.
Surveillance cameras are installed throughout the train station, Shin Min observed.
At the gantry area alone, there are about 10 cameras.
There was also one right outside the toilet.
35-year-old man arrested: SPF
In a Sep. 8 news release, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) shared that they were alerted to a case of outrage of modesty along Woodlands Road at 11:30pm on Sep. 7.
Upon arrival, the officers found a 35-year-old man detained by a staff member of Kranji MRT station.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim, a 38-year-old woman, had sought the assistance of station staff after she was allegedly molested in the vicinity of the train station.
The man will be charged in court on Sep. 9 with the offence of outrage of modesty.
If convicted, the man faces up to three years' imprisonment, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments.
Additionally, the police said in the news release: "The police have zero tolerance towards sexual offenders who threaten the personal safety of the community. Offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law."
It urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to report such matters to the police immediately if they are witnesses or victims of molestation.
Top image via Canva, Shin Min Daily News