False report of assault by student sparks manhunt at NTU

SINGAPORE — A false report by a 19-year-old Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student set off a manhunt and feverish speculation on Saturday night (Dec 14) about an alleged assault at the varsity.

Responding to TODAY’s queries on Sunday, the police said they were alerted to an alleged assault on a female NTU student along Nanyang Walk — where the university’s campus is — at 6.24pm on Saturday.

“Investigations subsequently revealed that the 19-year-old student had provided false information to the police and the alleged assault did not occur,” said a police spokesperson.

“The police are investigating her for providing false information.”

The police mounted a manhunt — which included their elite Gurkha contingent — before the report was established to be false, TODAY understands.

The police declined comment on the number of officers deployed.

The police’s statement came hours after speculation surfaced online that an alleged assault had taken place on the campus, with some users saying that a rape had occurred and gunshots were heard.

The alleged assault even prompted the NTU Students’ Union to disseminate an advisory urging students on campus to stay indoors for their safety.

Parents were also understood to have texted their children in hostels to stay indoors.

In a tweet on Sunday morning, NTU assured its students that there was “no cause for concern for their safety on campus” and that it was working with the police.

NTU's spokesperson told TODAY that the varsity was reaching out to affected students, and its pastoral care team would provide them with the necessary care and support.

“The university is assisting the police and will not be able to comment further,” said its spokesperson.

Ms Jolene Ang, an NTU accountancy and business student who stays in the Tamarind hall of residence on campus, said she learnt about the alleged assault at about 1.30am on Sunday.

She had received messages bearing screenshots of a thread from internet discussion site Reddit.

“We locked the doors and closed the windows, and then we sat behind the walls because they said there were gunshots,” said Ms Ang, 19, who is in the first year of her undergraduate studies.

“It was just a precaution, but we were kind of scared.”

Anyone who resides at the hall or is let in by a resident could gain access to the facility, she noted.

While Ms Ang was initially sceptical about some of the claims as she did not hear gunshots, she was relieved by the news that it was a false report.

She was nevertheless annoyed by the undue alarm that the brouhaha had caused, she said.

The police urged the public to refrain from commenting or speculating on the case to avoid causing unnecessary alarm.