NUS student placed on mandatory leave of absence after he allegedly shot upskirt videos

SINGAPORE - A student from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has been placed on a mandatory leave of absence since September after he allegedly shot upskirt videos of women on campus and at Haw Par Villa MRT station.

Luah Chao Zhi, 23, will also appear before an NUS board of discipline in January next year.

He appeared in a district court on Tuesday (Dec 24) and is now accused of five counts of insulting a woman's modesty.

According to court documents, Luah allegedly intruded the privacy of 31 unknown women by capturing their videos at various locations islandwide between April and August this year.

He is accused of committing similar offences four more times on Aug 23 by shooting upskirt videos on campus and at Haw Par Villa MRT station.

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Other NUS students had made the headlines earlier this year over similar offences.

One of the victims, Ms Monica Baey had gone public in April, saying that the authorities had not done enough to punish a fellow student who filmed her showering in November last year.

Separately, another NUS student, Joel Rasis Ismail, 26, was taken to court in May on charges including insulting the modesty of a 23-year-old woman on campus. His case is still pending.

In a statement on Thursday, NUS said that it takes "a strong stand" against any form of sexual misconduct.

Its spokesman added: "Since June, the university has enhanced safety and security measures and implemented a new disciplinary framework for sexual misconduct offences. It is also providing greater support for victims, and training for all staff and students to build a culture of respect.

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"A victim care unit has been in operation since August to provide dedicated support to victims. This is in addition to the pastoral care provided by hostel masters, resident fellows, resident advisors, vice deans, student support managers and peer student supporters."

NUS said that any sexual misconduct committed after June 13 this year is subject to tougher penalties.

These include a minimum one-year suspension, a formal annotation of such suspension on the student's official transcript, and immediate expulsion for severe or aggravated cases.

Luah's case had been adjourned to Jan 14 next year.

Offenders convicted of insulting a woman's modesty can be jailed for up to a year and fined for each charge.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.