Molestation cases in Singapore jump by more than 20% in first six months

SINGAPORE: The number of outrage of modesty - or molestation - cases in Singapore grew in the first half of 2025, increasing by 21.2 per cent from the same period in 2024. 

There were 807 such cases reported from January to June this year, up from 666 cases, said the police in their mid-year statistics on physical crime released on Tuesday (Aug 26).

Molestation cases accounted for 7.8 per cent of the 10,341 physical crime cases in the first half of the year. 

The total number of cases was up 5.4 per cent from the 9,809 cases reported during the same six-month period last year.

MORE MOLESTATION CASES ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT

More than half of the cases involved culprits known to the victims. The police also noted an increase in cases taking place on public transport and along pavements and footpaths.

For the former, 90 cases were reported in the first six months of 2025 compared to 64 in the same period last year.

"The SPF (Singapore Police Force) will continue to work with public transport operators and partners, including SBS Transit, SMRT Corporation, Land Transport Authority and NCPC (National Crime Prevention Council) to disseminate crime advisories within the public transport network," said the police. 

They are also working with stakeholders to provide crime advisories against outrage of modesty on bus hangers from the end of this month.

"The display of these bus hangers aims to enhance bus commuters' awareness, equip them with knowledge on common (outrage of modesty) modus operandi and tips to protect themselves, with a 'call-to-action' to alert the police when such offences are witnessed," the police added, urging the community to watch out for one another and report suspicious activities.

Besides public transport, outrage of modesty offences were also typically committed at residential premises and shopping complexes. The number of cases reported at residential premises increased, while that in shopping complexes saw a drop.

The situation at public entertainment outlets has "remained stable", said the police. The first half of this year saw 54 cases, compared to 51 last year. 

VOYEURISM STILL A CONCERN

Voyeurism cases fell by 2.3 per cent six cases, from 258 in the first half of 2024 to 252 during the same period this year. 

These made up 2.4 per cent of the total number of physical crime cases. That said, voyeurism was still a crime of concern, said the police. 

Residential premises, shopping complexes and the public transport network had the most cases of voyeurism so far this year. 

The majority of the cases at residential premises were committed by offenders known to the victims, such as current or former partners, household members or friends, said the police. 

Meanwhile, the culprits involved in cases at shopping complexes and on public transport tended to be those unknown to the victims, they added.

The number of voyeurism cases at sports and swimming complexes decreased to six, after 11 cases were reported in the first half of 2024.

SPF has implemented public education measures to combat voyeurism in the public transport network, adapting from strategies for outrage of modesty cases. 

The police also worked with the Restroom Association of Singapore to introduce security design guidelines for public toilets, such as on the placement of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at toilet entrances as well as the use of full-height toilet partitions and enhanced lighting.

The police advised members of the public to adopt voyeurism prevention measures such as staying alert when using public spaces like toilets and changing rooms, and checking surroundings for the presence of anything unusual, like hidden cameras or suspicious devices.

They should also watch out for strange holes in walls, unusual wiring and objects that seem out of place, and be mindful of people holding phones or bags in unusual ways, particularly near cubicle gaps, said the police.