Given how safe Singapore is, most parents wouldn’t have an issue allowing their children to return home themselves. However, things can still go wrong despite our nation’s reputation. Earlier in April, a 13-year-old girl was making her way back to her home in Marsiling when she was tailed by a 28-year-old man. At one point, the migrant worker even held her elbow and told her “sex, sex, sex”.
Source: Christian Chen on Unsplash. For illustration purposes only.
After his initial plans were foiled, the construction worker tailed another 16-year-old girl to her home and performed a lewd act in front of her home gate.
He was recently sentenced to eight weeks’ jail for harassment and using criminal force on the young girl.
According to TODAY, the incident took place on 7 Apr 2022 when the 13-year-old girl was returning home from school.
As the girl left Marsiling MRT Station on a bus, 28-year-old Hossain Mohammad Akram followed suit and later alighted at the same stop as her.
Source: Wikipedia
The student eventually noticed him staring at her at the bus stop and decided to stand in a corner.
Assuming that he had left, she proceeded to the lift lobby of her block. To her surprise, the worker showed up again and entered the lift first, gesturing for her to follow him.
Having learnt to take precautions around suspicious individuals, the girl pressed a button for the level below her unit, thinking that she could run up the stairs if need be. Hossain reportedly didn’t press any buttons and stood to one side with his arms crossed.
The moment the doors opened, the girl rushed out, with Hossain hot on her heels. He allegedly reached out and held on to the victim’s elbow, telling her,
Sex, sex, sex.
Hossain’s actions prompted the girl to begin shouting for help. Meanwhile, he held on to her bag so she couldn’t get away.
Thankfully, the girl’s neighbour was just about to close the gate to his home at that point and was likely able to see the commotion. Aware of the neighbour’s presence, Hossain released the girl’s bag, TODAY reports.
The girl ran toward her neighbour, who asked Hossain what he was doing. The worker allegedly responded by saying “no problem, no problem” before heading back to the lift.
Hossain then proceeded to another unit and pulled on the gate handles. He eventually left after the neighbour and the unit’s tenant instructed him to do so.
After taking the lift back to the ground floor, Hossain spotted his next victim, a 16-year-old girl, and started following her.
Sensing that something was amiss, the girl began picking up her pace.
However, she later found herself in the same lift with him and tried her best to move around to avoid him.
When the lift doors opened, the girl sprinted up the stairs to her home. Hossain, however, was close behind.
Though she managed to get inside and lock the doors, Hossain refused to give up and allegedly tried to pull the gates open while grasping his crotch over his pants.
The first victim’s neighbour, who had been observing Hossain, then confronted him, causing him to flee. Fortunately, the police were able to nab him at the bus stop.
During the investigations that followed, Hossain told the police that he had followed the 13-year-old victim “to do the sex” for his “mental peace”, reports TODAY.
On Friday (3 Jun), he pleaded guilty to harassing and using criminal force on the young girl.
The 28-year-old was also reportedly apologetic for his actions, and said through an interpreter,
I’m sincerely sorry for the offences and also remorseful for my wrongdoings. I will not do it again in the future.
In the end, Hossain was sentenced to eight weeks’ jail for his offences.
For using criminal force on a person, one could face up to three months in jail, a maximum fine of S$1,500, or both.
If found guilty of harassment, alarm, or distress, an individual could be looking at six months’ jail, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
While the individuals involved in the incident got away without suffering any physical harm, no one could say whether it had scarred them psychologically.
We hope the perpetrator is now aware of the potential trauma that his actions could’ve caused and will turn over a new leaf.
Kudos to the neighbour who helped to look out for the victims. As for the victims, we hope that they’ve recovered from any trauma that the incident may have caused and will be extra alert when they’re out and about.
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Featured image adapted from @christianchen on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only.
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His church has urged parishioners to refrain from visiting him as he heals.
The kitten will be put up for adoption after its injuries are cured.
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The man is known to be a frequent troublemaker.