A female tourist filed a police report after being sexually assaulted at The Room@Bugis hotel, leading to the arrest and charging of a hotel employee.
The incident occurred around 4:00 PM on Saturday (22 March) when the tourist was allegedly forcibly kissed, groped, and dragged to a bed. She managed to escape by fighting back.
Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, the tourist said she arrived in Singapore alone on 16 March, staying at this hotel on her first day. After switching to another hotel temporarily, she returned last Saturday ahead of her planned departure on Tuesday (25 March).
The tourist described the hotel as catering to backpackers, with 16-20 people per room. She noted that only one staff member was on duty for the entire hotel, and beds were separated only by semi-transparent curtains with little privacy.
Following the incident, the tourist reported feeling helpless and terrified. After reporting to police, she moved to another hotel. She stated she couldn’t sleep and decided to post on social media to prevent other women from becoming victims.
The tourist also mentioned finding comments from December last year on a platform where someone claimed to have been sexually harassed by staff offering free rooms. Some users allegedly reported being attacked by hotel staff after filing complaints.
Hotel manager Lin Junjie told Lianhe Zaobao that the hotel fired the employee involved and contacted the victim to provide help and support. The hotel has implemented stricter background checks, introduced body cameras, and plans more frequent random checks and performance evaluations.
Lin added that female rooms are locked with guests receiving unlock passwords, and staff only enter rooms for cleaning or emergencies.
The Singapore Tourism Board acknowledged awareness of the case but provided no further details as investigations continue.
The 41-year-old hotel employee, a Bangladesh national, was charged in court on Monday (24 March). The charge states that on 22 March at 4:22 PM on Tan Quee Lan Street, he outraged the modesty of a 45-year-old woman by restricting her movement, forcibly kissing her, and molesting her.
Under Section 354A(1) of the Penal Code, aggravated outrage of modesty carries a punishment of two to ten years imprisonment plus caning.
The case will be heard again on 7 April. The accused was released on SGD$10,000 bail.
The judge ordered media not to publish information that might reveal the victim’s identity.
