Another Peeping Tom case has surfaced on a university campus.
This time, a female student at the National University of Singapore (NUS) was allegedly filmed by a student in a bathroom at a residence hall last Saturday.
This is the fourth reported case since NUS student Monica Baey took to social media last month to express her frustration over the punishment given to fellow student Nicholas Lim for filming her showering in Eusoff Hall.
An NUS spokesman said a police report has been made about the latest incident in Raffles Hall and that the suspect has been apprehended by the police for investigations.
Police said they received a call for assistance around 8.10am and later arrested a 26-year-old male NUS student, also a resident of Raffles Hall, for criminal trespass.
The man is also being investigated for insulting the modesty of a woman, added the police.
NUS said it is "working closely with the police in their investigations, and will take the necessary disciplinary actions". It is also providing the victim with dedicated support and assistance.
Since last month, NUS has been enhancing security on its campuses through improved closed-circuit television (CCTV) coverage, upgrading of shower cubicles and toilet locks to make them more secure, and increased patrols by security officers.
NUS said footage of the suspect was captured by a new CCTV camera, which The Straits Times understands was installed last Friday.
"The university is committed to accelerating the implementation of these security enhancements, but in the meantime, we would like to urge all students to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to NUS campus security immediately," said the spokesman.
The university is also developing a course to educate its community on respect and consent.
Questions have arisen about why such voyeuristic acts are taking place despite public outcry. Some observers say that exposure to such content online from a young age may embolden one to commit the acts.
Mr Praveen Nair, a psychologist and senior consultant at Raven Counselling and Consultancy, said the nature of the "viewing" act is "highly stimulating for the viewer".
"Furthermore, because it is done in secret, the viewer often does not get caught," he added.
"The behaviour can have an almost addiction-like pull for the viewer, whose brain does not necessarily assess the behaviour as something that is inimical to others. In fact, many individuals can almost dismiss their behaviour by mentally equating it to watching pornography."
NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser said that being deep into pornography and hanging out with the wrong crowd, including those in cyberspace, can create a deviant, warped view of women and gender relations.
"As for whether the person is likely to act out his fantasies, it depends on the opportunities presented to him or the opportunities he creates for himself," said Prof Tan.
"Perhaps he is also a risk taker, having weighed the probability of being caught and the strength of his desire."
