A student of Nanyang Technological University allegedly provided false information regarding an assault that happened on campus.
NTU and the police are currently investigating the matter and have released a statement.
The NTU Student’s Union posted an Instagram story on Dec 15 at around 2am alerting students of a reported case of assault that happened within the campus grounds.
Rumours of gunshots and an alleged gang rape on campus were shared on social media.
“For your own safety and to better aid the ongoing investigations, we urge everyone who is currently in NTU to stay indoors,” the post added.
After a few hours, the Student’s Union shared another Instagram story saying that the alleged assault “did not take place and all students are safe.”
Following investigations by the police, the NTU administration confirmed that the female student (19) who reported the alleged assault “provided false information” and that the assault did not occur.
“We would like to assure the NTU community that there is no cause for concern about their safety on campus,” the statement added.
NTU would like to assure the NTU community there is no cause for concern about their safety on campus. We urge everyone to refrain from commenting or speculating on the case to avoid causing unnecessary alarm. Here is the University’s official statement on last night's incident. pic.twitter.com/MbCYMaAoOQ
— NTU Singapore (@NTUsg) December 15, 2019
Students who saw the initial advisory took the necessary precautions following advise to “stay indoors.”
“The police would like to urge members of the public to refrain from commenting or speculating on the case so as to avoid causing unnecessary alarm.”
The student in question is still being investigated.
Netizens are relieved that no assault took place, but some students said that the NTU’s official channels should have released updates sooner so that students no longer had to speculate and rely on rumours.
“We strongly urge students to be wary of sources of information and take additional measures to confirm the legitimacy and reliability of these sources,” the Student’s Union reminded everyone./TISG