"Be Prepared" – Twitter User Shares Survival Tips After Being Sexually Assaulted On LRT
It's always good to have these tips in mind regardless.
By Jasmine Chea — 12 Jul 2022, 04:50 PM — Updated over 2 years ago
Another sexual assault case strikes again
Twitter user @hytshrr123 shared her experience of being sexually assaulted on public transport in a series of tweets which have now garnered over 14,000 retweets and 13,500 likes at the moment of reporting this.
The incident was reported to have happened on 29 June when she was travelling on the LRT from Bangsar to Ampang during the peak hour period, at around 6pm
It wasn't until the train stopped at KL Sentral station, and an influx of people flooded into the train, that things went downhill from there.
She felt inappropriate touches on her bottom
At first, she felt a slight touch on her behind but dismissed it as someone's bag brushing against her. It wasn't until she felt a squeeze that she could confirm that a hand was inappropriately touching her. She says she quickly turned around and saw a tall guy who had his back against hers.
She bravely confronted him by grabbing his shoulder and yelling at him to remove his hand. Despite all this, the man did not respond and just got off at the next stop at Pasar Seni. Unfortunately, no one came to her aid or said anything during or after the incident occurred, she recounted.
She then continues the thread by sharing five useful tips to handle a sexual assault situation:
Firstly, always be alert and wary of your surroundings.
Secondly, when it happens, shout as loud as possible to alert others of the assailant's actions and to discourage them from continuing the assault.
Thirdly, ask for help to deal with the assailant, especially to escort them out of the premises.
The fourth tip is, go to the nearest police station immediately to lodge a police report.
And most importantly, she advises to act immediately when it happens in order to collect evidence and witnesses.
Justice prevails
After lodging a report, she mentions that the assailant, who police identified as Pakistani, was caught within 24 hours thanks to the Infrastructure Assistance Police team who was very helpful and acted efficiently. She also managed to take a picture of her assailant.
Although taken from the back, it was enough evidence for the police to catch him.
Netizens largely responded with support and positivity towards her
Some netizens thanked her for sharing her experience and for also providing helpful tips on how to deal with this kind of situation.
Others conveyed their sympathy towards her and mentioned how sorry they were that she had to experience something so horrible like sexual assault.
Some users also bravely shared their own sexual assault experience and what they went through as victims.
In a conversation with SAYS, @hytshrr encouraged others to help victims of sexual assault and to be more alert when it occurs. She said that it is crucial to have witnesses when lodging a sexual assault report, so having others vouch for the victim is very helpful in bringing closure to the investigation.
If you are someone or know someone who has experienced sexual assault, do not hesitate to reach out to the hotlines below for help. You are not alone in this
1. WOMEN'S AID ORGANISATION (WAO)
Operating hours: 24-hour
Contact: +603-30008858
SMS/WhatsApp: +6018-9888058
Website | Facebook | Twitter
2. ALL WOMEN'S ACTION SOCIETY (AWAM)
Operating hours: Weekdays (9.30am - 4.30pm)
Contact: +603-78770224
WhatsApp: +6016-2284221 | +6016-2374221
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
3. WOMEN'S CENTRE FOR CHANGE PENANG (WCC PENANG)
Operating hours: Weekdays (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +604-2280342 | +604-3988340
WhatsApp: +6011-31084001 | +6016-4390698
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
4. SARAWAK WOMEN FOR WOMEN SOCIETY (SWWS)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5.30pm)
Contact: +6082-422660
SMS/WhatsApp: +6013-8044285
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
5. SABAH WOMEN'S ACTION-RESOURCE GROUP (SAWO)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 2pm)
Contact: +6088-280200
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
6. PROTECT AND SAVE THE CHILDREN (PS THE CHILDREN)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (8.30am - 5.30pm)
Contact: +6016-2273065 | +6016-7213065
WhatsApp: +6016-7213065
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
7. INTERNET WATCH FOUNDATION (IWF)
Anonymously and confidentially report child sexual abuse content and non-photographic child sexual abuse images with IWF’s Reporting Portal.
