Here are the concrete suggestions brought up by students at the NUS sexual 'misconduct' town hall

It includes stuff that was promised from years ago, but never came to fruition.

Joshua Lee | April 26, 2019, 01:49 PM

As you might know by now, if you've been following the case of National University of Singapore student Nicholas Lim filming fellow undergraduate Monica Baey in the shower, the university held a town hall on Thursday (Apr. 25) to address the furore over its mishandling of a voyeur case on campus.

More than 500 students showed up at the auditorium in the Stephen Riady Centre at University Town at 5pm, when the 90-minute session began.

The session was chaired by Professor Florence Ling, Vice Provost (Student Life) and Associate Professor Peter Pang, Dean of Students, but it quickly turned into a hotbed for blunt questioning of the university’s failure to adequately address sexual offences on campus.

Based on reports and information we collated from various sources, here are some of the concrete suggestions put forth by students present on how NUS can better handle sexual assault cases.

1) Provide better victim support

More than one victim of sexual assault (including Baey) shared how their experiences with NUS left much to be desired.

Baey, for example, said she felt uncomfortable with having her statement taken by a male officer — made even more difficult when she had to retell her story in explicit detail.

After having her statement taken, there was no clear timeline of processes during the investigation.

Another voyeur victim said via a statement delivered by another male student that she was handed a rape whistle by the school's Office of Campus Security after she was filmed in a residential college. Aside from that, the Office of Campus Security reportedly made her sign off on a modified statement.

One suggestion floated by students who spoke was setting up a separate office to provide services for sexual misconduct and assault cases. This office can provide administrative and emotional support, referrals for on- and off-campus support, as well as a 24-hour hotline.

People who come into contact with sexual assault victims should also go through sensitivity or empathy training, the students said. 

Staff, research assistants, and this special victim support unit should be equipped with specific first responder training so they can more sensitively handle sexual assault cases.

    2) Educate students on consent and respect

    During the town hall, a student reminded the university administration that the provost previously promised to implement workshops on consent and sexual respect after a review NUS convened on the matter of risqué orientation games back in September 2016. This, the student pointed out, has not materialised. 

    According to Ling, NUS will be introducing courses on sexual misconduct, although there was no elaboration on how these courses would be done, nor was a timeline for their implementation mentioned.

    3) Enforce harsher, more lasting sanctions against perpetrators

    One student mentioned the fact that out of 26 misconduct cases reported, 13 were committed by reoffenders, yet nobody was expelled — NUS's "two strikes and you're out" policy notwithstanding.

    Hence, the students said, there is a need for stronger sanctions.

    These could include probation or suspension longer than one semester, up to two years during the period that the victim is in school. Other suggestions included putting the offence permanently on the perpetrator's academic record and enforcing a no-contact order between victim and perpetrator. 

    On the rehabilitation side, it was suggested that perpetrators should undergo support groups to better understand sexual assault as well as mandatory rehabilitative counselling.

    4) Strengthen security system

    Students also highlighted the need for stronger security such as key cards or a transponder system to access dorms, toilets and female-only levels.

    Current levels of security on campus are also not sufficient to keep out banned personnel completely.

    Dean, Provost promise to take suggestions to review committee

    Hearing these suggestions, Ling and Pang assured NUS students that they will be able to implement better victim support and infrastructural security. However, the other suggestions are left to the review committee for deliberation.

    According to The Straits Times, Pang said:

    "The review committee has a very difficult job to do, let's give them some patience, you want them to do a thorough job, and they will leave no stone unturned."

    Top image via NUS.