A former National University of Singapore (NUS) senior lecturer was jailed 14 weeks’ on Oct. 17, 2019.
Long Yun, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of outraging the modesty of the 20-year-old undergraduate while aboard an NUS shuttle bus in January 2019.
He had rubbed his groin against the female student’s leg.What happened
Long and the victim were on board the NUS shuttle bus service A1 along Lower Kent Ridge Road on Jan. 14, 2019 at around noon.
As the bus was crowded, the student boarded through the rear door and stood next to a standing pole.
The victim cannot be named due to a gag order.
Long also boarded through the same door and stood near the victim.
He decided to hold on to the standing pole next to the student when the bus arrived at the next bus stop.
He stood directly in front of her at a very close distance.
When the bus moved, it jolted forward.
Long's groin rubbed against the student's left thigh, leading him to be aroused.
He shifted his body closer to her, and intentionally rubbed his groin against her left thigh again.
This continued until he alighted at the fourth bus stop about four minutes later.
The student felt shocked and confused.
She then realised that she had been molested and told a friend.
They sought help from a campus security officer and referred the matter to the police.
A victim impact statement recorded from the student on Oct. 16 said she now refrains from taking the campus shuttle bus out of fear of being molested again.
She also has emotional breakdowns when she recalls the incident.
Background on perpetrator
Long was a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the time of the offence in January 2019.
He became a Singapore permanent resident in 2015 after moving here in 2013.
His wife previously worked in Singapore.
But she moved back to China with the couple’s eight-year-old son to run a business, leaving Long in Singapore.
He has since been terminated from his position.
An NUS spokesman said Long’s employment was terminated in February after an internal investigation.
What Deputy Public Prosecutor said
Deputy Public Prosecutor Benedict Chan said an aggravating factor in the case was that the offence occurred while Long and the victim were on board a public transport vehicle.
He called for the court to sentence Long to not less than 14 weeks' jail.
What the defence said
Long's lawyer T.M. Sunnadurai said the offence was not premeditated.
He argued for leniency as his client pleaded guilty "at the earliest opportunity".
He said Long has "demonstrated sincere remorse" by attending counselling sessions to rehabilitate himself.
He had also offered compensation to the student.
Long's academic credentials were also cited.
He holds a PhD in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University.
He was also recognised by NUS in 2016 for his dedication and commitment as an educator, and was listed on the Honours List for the Faculty of Engineering.
Top photo via NUS blog
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