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In October 2019, a Singaporean student of a "top university in the United Kingdom" was accused of recording two women in toilets on two separate occasions.

He would go on to face additional charges in December that year.

Pleaded guilty to eight charges

On July 29, 2021, the 23-year-old man pleaded guilty to seven charges of insulting the modesty of women and an eighth charge of possessing obscene films, CNA reported.

An additional eight charges are being considered in the sentencing.

The accused had filmed victims in the shower, as well as upskirt videos.

This happened when he was still studying in a junior college from 2014 to 2015, when he was a full-time national serviceman from 2016 to 2018, and when he was studying at a university in the UK from October 2018.

Due to a gag order protecting the identities of his alleged victims, the accused could not be named since his hearing on October 2, 2019.

Tussle over gag order

CNA reported that the prosecution successfully applied to lift the gag order on July 29, upon receiving the approval of all 11 known victims to name him.

But the defence swiftly applied for the lifting of the gag order to be put on hold, saying that they would apply against the lifting via the High Court.

According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Foo Shi Hao, all the identified victims agreed to lift the gag order, despite the potential increased risk of them being identified.

Foo added that the victims' names will remain gagged, and emphasised the importance of public interest in open justice in criminal proceedings whereby the identity of the accused can be published under law regardless of the damages, even if acquitted.

The defence argued that the prosecution's previous attempts to lift the gag order have failed, and said that the prosecution should take the case to the High Court instead of the district courts.

District Judge Tan Jen Tse ruled in the favour of the prosecution, agreeing to lift the gag order on the accused's name while maintaining the gag order on the victims' names as well as the names of schools and the location of the offences.

However, the defence successfully applied for the lifting of the gag order to be stayed, or temporarily suspended, pending its appeal to the High Court for a reversal, within a week.

The accused will return to court on August 26 for sentencing.

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Top image by Jan Antonin Kolar via Unsplash for illustrative purposes.