Second peeping tom case in four days reported at NTU

SINGAPORE — Another peeping tom case has surfaced at a hostel in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), with a police report made on April 18 against a 22-year-old male undergraduate caught filming a fellow student while she was showering.

This was the second case in four days which took place in an NTU hostel and was reported to the police.

These cases came as a debate is ongoing over voyeurism and campus safety, sparked by National University undergraduate Monica Baey, who took to Instagram last weekend to express her anger over how her case was handled. 

TODAY understands that the incident at NTU took place in Tamarind Hall. The closed-circuit television cameras at the hall captured footage of the suspect and he was identified as an NTU student, a university spokesperson told TODAY.

In response to TODAY’s queries, police confirmed on Friday (April 26) that the suspect, who is a resident of the hall, is being investigated.

At about 10pm on April 17, the 20-year-old victim was showering in a common toilet in the hostel when she spotted a phone hovering at the top of her cubicle.

She was shocked, but got dressed and tried to go after the culprit. However, she was unable to locate the person.

She later confided in a friend. Together, they reported the incident to NTU's campus security unit the same night.

“I was hesitant (about making a police report) initially,” the student, who declined to reveal her name, told TODAY. “But I was very upset about the incident and I knew it was a crime.”

The undergraduate said the campus security officers offered to drive her to the police station and constantly reassured her.

The NTU spokesperson said that she was accompanied by an NTU officer when she made the police report the following day.

“The affected female student is receiving the full assistance and support from NTU’s pastoral care team, which reached out to her immediately after the incident,” the spokeperson added.

“Our priority is to ensure her welfare and we are commencing our own investigations into the incident.”

This incident came to light shortly after a similar peeping tom case, also at NTU, occurred over the weekend, in Hall of Residence 3. Police arrested a 19-year-old suspect on Sunday. 

NTU said in a previous statement that “several students” helped to detain the 19-year-old man, who is not an NTU student or employee, who allegedly took photographs of a male student in the shower.

“CCTVs cover most of the common areas in the halls of residence. Campus security also regularly patrol the halls, and are stationed at every hall from 9pm to 9am,” the spokesperson said.

Police investigations are ongoing for both cases.

In an e-newsletter to students on Wednesday, NTU announced that an online module on anti-harassment will be introduced in July for all freshmen and student organisers of orientation programmes. 

The university revised its policies and procedures governing harassment for both students and employees in January, which include specific advice on what to do when faced with harassment, and where to seek help.