SINGAPORE - Over the past three years, 26 cases of sexual offences were brought before the National University of Singapore's (NUS) disciplinary board, according to a report that was leaked last week by students.
Eighteen cases involved sexual voyeurism, with students taking upskirt videos and photographs, or filming both male and female students showering.
Five involved outrage of modesty, or touching the thighs or buttocks of female students.
There were three cases of trespassing and theft of female undergarments from hostels.
On Monday (April 22), NUS revealed how it handles sexual misconduct cases, laying out a "two strikes and you're out" policy, where a student found guilty of sexual misconduct a second time will be expelled.
The university has since said it will be reviewing this policy, which has been criticised widely by members of the public and students.
The issue came to light after Ms Monica Baey, 23, a third-year NUS communications and new media undergraduate, had shared on Instagram last week that she was filmed showering at Eusoff Hall in November last year.
Of the 26 sexual misconduct cases in the past three academic years, 16 involved police investigations, which led to sentences such as imprisonment for as long as 16 weeks, supervised probation and community service.
Separately, 16 cases ended with the student being suspended from school for mostly one to two semesters.
None of the students were expelled, even when they had committed multiple acts of sexual misconduct. There were 13 of such cases.
Most of the offenders were banned from entering halls on campus, had to carry out community service, along with writing apology letters to victims.
Some were given $500 to $1,000 fines.
Two cases involving the same student that were reviewed in the academic year 2016/2017 almost led to an expulsion, but the male student successfully appealed against the board's decision.
In the first case, the student trespassed into a female toilet and peeped at a female student while she showered.
He was issued a 12-month conditional warning by the police for this first offence, and NUS barred him from all campus residences, imposed a $500 fine and mandatory community service, along with an official reprimand.
He later committed another offence by outraging the modesty of a female student.
The disciplinary board decided to expel him but the student appealed against it.
The Disciplinary Appeals Board revised the initial decision after considering the student's psychiatric disorder.
He was then suspended for 18 months and had to undergo psychiatric treatment.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
