As many as 6 young girls were allegedly molested at a swimming pool in Singapore recently. The incident happened at Hougang Swimming Complex, and police were alerted to it on 13 September 2018.
A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the case.
Children molested at swimming pool in Singapore
According to The Straits Times, the 6 victims were aged between 9 and 13. The suspect was arrested on 24 September along Hougang Avenue 2.
Police has advised members of the public to be alert and attentive to their surroundings. A molest victim should seek help immediately from other people in the area. The victim should also take note of the prominent features and attire of the suspect as well as the direction in which the culprit went.
The police has added that any victim should call 999 as soon as possible so that the culprit may be caught early.
Swimming pool molestation incidents are getting more common.
In June this year, a 45-year-old man was found guilty of sexually assaulting a boy at the male toilet in Toa Payoh Swimming Complex. He had entered the cubicle in which the boy was showering and performed oral sex on him.
Again, in July 2018, a doctor on holiday in Singapore was jailed for 2 weeks after he was found guilty of molesting 4 women at Marina Bay Sands rooftop infinity pool.
Safety Tips to prevent molestation at swimming pool
Reports of child molestation at swimming pools are indeed scary. As parents, here are a few things you can do to be aware of and prevent sex abuse of your child:
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Recognising sexual abuse
How does the child know that he or she has been abused? Abuse does not always have to be painful.
Recognising abuse starts with education. It is important to teach your children about private parts from a young age. Use proper names for each body part.
Explain why only some parts are called ‘private’ and that they are not for anyone else to see, except maybe parents. Explain “good touch” and “bad touch”.
No one should be allowed to touch or take pictures of their private parts and they should not touch any one’s private parts as well.
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Let your child know the power of saying “NO”
Let your child be aware that it is okay to say “No”, even to adults. They don’t have to feel obligated to do anything against their wishes — whether it’s in the presence of an adult or older child that they know.
You can practice this at home with them. Making sure that they never give in to kissing or hugging an adult if they don’t want to!
Teach your child the “No, go, yell, tell” method, if someone is making them feel uncomfortable by touching them inappropriately. Basically, your child should say NO, go and run away, yell as loud as he can, and tell a trusted adult about what happened.
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Report sexual abuse
“Was it my fault? Will I be shamed or punished if I told someone about it?”
These are common questions that hound sexual abuse victims. Parents should convince their children that they will never get into trouble for telling them the truth.
The child may be misled to believe by the abuser or any others that he or she was asking for it, was enjoying it etc. But children should understand that anyone who wants them to keep secrets from their parents should not be trusted.
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Monitor the behaviour of swimming coaches
Monitor the behavior of coaches and make sure none of them are taking too keen an interest in your child.
If the coach pays special attention to your child, compliments them constantly, becomes overly touchy-feely with them, makes excuses to be alone with them, or asks penetrating questions about their sexual development, then it might be worrying.
These behaviors are typical red flags of predatory grooming. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
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Take note of your child’s behavior
Watch out for emotional and behavioural changes like sudden withdrawal and depression, fear, unexplained anger and rebellion in your child. Make sure your child knows that they can come and talk to you about anything without fear of reprisal.
(Source: The Straits Times, Yahoo)
Also READ: Singapore school girl sexually assaulted by man at bus stop