SINGAPORE: A 16-year-old part-time employee at a supermarket took to social media to share that she was “slapped on the butt” by an uncle. On Wednesday (January 22), she posted on r/SingaporeRaw, stating that the uncle, who was holding a packet of dumplings, did this intentionally to get her attention while she was busy scanning another customer’s items.
She also mentioned that she reported the harassment to her boss, but her concerns were dismissed with the advice to “just not stand so close to him next time”.
“[My boss] doesn’t do anything and just leaves. #Ilovemyjob,” she said.
“If you don’t do anything, this will keep happening”
In the discussion thread, many urged the part-time employee to file a police report, with one user writing, “Supermarkets have CCTV. See if you can try to get footage. If not, report it to the police—backlog the times, date, and where it happened. You’re only 16, and it can be scary, but this will keep happening if you don’t do anything. If not you, it can happen to someone else.”
Another chimed in with a supportive message, saying, “Hope you’re doing alright, find a trusted adult you can talk to and tell them about the situation, they can guide you through. If it wasn’t clear enough from other commenters, MAKE A POLICE REPORT.”
Others criticized her boss for not doing anything. One user said, “Outrageous. The boss’s reaction is not acceptable.”
Another wrote, “Your boss probably knows it’s wrong. They are too lazy to do the right thing and help you through the reporting process. Lots of people would rather victim blame than accept that a crime was committed that needs to be reported.”
Offenders may be jailed for up to 3 years
Under Singapore’s Penal Code (1871), Section 354, an individual who assaults or uses criminal force against another person with the intent to outrage that person’s modesty can be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned, or given a combination of these punishments.
If the victim is under 14, the offender may face a harsher penalty: up to five years in prison besides fines or caning. Notably, the gender of both the victim and the offender is irrelevant in cases of outrage of modesty.
Furthermore, according to Singapore Legal Advice, an offender can still be charged even if their attempts to outrage someone’s modesty do not succeed. This includes actions such as attempting to take someone to a location to disrespect their modesty or stalk potential victims, which are punishable under Section 511 of the Penal Code.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)