3 teenagers arrested for spitting on man from upper floors of a mall

SINGAPORE — For the second time in less than a week, the police have arrested three male teenagers for their suspected involvement in a spitting incident in a mall along Victoria Street.

In a statement on Wednesday (March 18), they said that the teenagers — aged between 16 and 18 — were nabbed on Tuesday after the police received a report on March 14 from a man who was hit by spittle when he was on the ground floor of the mall.

Preliminary investigations revealed that on March 12, sometime after 5pm, the trio were spitting over the railing on level five of the mall, which was not identified. 

The police said: “The incident had caused alarm and annoyance to the victim, and happened at a time when Singapore is dealing with the Covid-19 situation, and infections can spread indirectly through contaminated surfaces.”

Through ground inquiries and with the aid of images from closed-circuit television cameras, officers from the Central Police Division established the identities of the three teenagers.

Last week, on March 12, the police arrested three teenagers in a similar spitting incident. Two males and a female were arrested after the police received reports of an online video showing what appeared to be a male teenager spitting from an upper floor of a mall on Feb 28.

That incident happened on level four of a shopping centre in the central region, the police had said then.

On Wednesday, the police warned again that they take a serious view of such inconsiderate and irresponsible behaviour, especially in the current Covid-19 situation. "Everyone needs to play their part by observing good personal hygiene and being socially responsible,” they said, adding that investigations are ongoing.

The offence of public nuisance under Section 290 of the Penal Code carries a fine of up to S$2,000.

If the act is deemed to be able to cause with “reasonable probability”, any common injury, danger or annoyance to the public, or those who dwell or occupy property in the vicinity, the offence will carry a jail term of up to three months, or a fine of up to S$2,000, or both.