Penang Bartender Accused Of Allegedly Sexually Abusing More Than 30 Women & Minors
One victim claimed that she was sexually assaulted by the bartender when she was just 17 years old.
By Sofia Pereira — 19 Sep 2023, 05:42 PM
Over the past few days, more than a dozen women have come forward on social media, alleging that a 23-year-old bartender who works in Georgetown, Penang, sexually and mentally abused them
The incident was brought to light after a user on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared screenshots of three Instagram Stories, which they claimed were uploaded by an anonymous source.
According to the source, the bartender had been mentally abusing numerous women in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Penang to satisfy his sexual desires.
"He would love bomb victims and tell them how he's struggling with his mental conditions to make them sympathise with him. But these are merely lies, so victims won't retaliate when he's manipulating them or threatening to hurt himself.
"He raped a few women, some of whom were minors, while they were sleeping or drunk. He also owns his own bar in Georgetown, but he was previously fired from other KL bars after becoming sexually involved with so many female customers," the source wrote.
The source went on to claim that the alleged abuser had manipulated more than 30 victims, and that he would engage in abusive relationships with multiple women at once.
The source also shared claims from several people, including a screenshot of a conversation between a victim and the alleged abuser, in which the latter threatened to harm himself because the victim could not attend to his needs.
After the initial screenshots went viral, more victims came forward, all of whom claimed to have been abused by the same man
According to one victim, while she was in a relationship with the alleged abuser, he had cheated on her and flirted with other women in front of her.
She claimed that the bartender allegedly raped her even though she was crying, while repeatedly telling her, "This is what you want, right?"
"After that, he tried to jump off the window of his 46th floor apartment. I was drunk, but had to use all my strength to pull him back.
"Throughout the entire ordeal, there was another girl in the room with us who was passed out drunk, and he forced me to wake her up to have a threesome, but I told him no because that's rape," the victim wrote.
The victim also claimed that the alleged abuser called her on FaceTime after the incident and pretended nothing had happened.
She also claimed that the bartender had sex with several underage girls in the past, and that she had seen high school textbooks belonging to one of the victims on his desk.
The same victim reached out to SAYS and sent an image of the bruises she allegedly received as a result of being physically abused by the bartender during one of their arguments.
Meanwhile, another victim claimed that she was sexually assaulted by the bartender when she was 17 years old
The victim claimed she attended a festival with the alleged abuser and his friends, but was left alone with him while the others went shopping.
When the two were preparing food alone, the bartender became flirtatious and attempted to touch her, which led her to push him away and remind him that he was in a relationship.
She added that she felt so uneasy that she had to hide in the bathroom to avoid speaking with the alleged abuser.
"But when I opened the (bathroom) door, he kept forcing himself onto me and pushed me against the wall. He then took my clothes off and I remember crying, but he didn't stop.
"When his friends came back, I didn't tell them anything because it felt like no one would believe that it wasn't consensual since we've had a sexual relationship in the past. I just let the night go and kept my mouth shut," she wrote.
In a conversation with SAYS, one victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, claimed that the alleged abuser would scout for female victims using multiple popular dating apps
"A few weeks ago, one of my friends sent me a screenshot of his profile on a dating app. I first noticed him on that app in 2021, and he hasn't left since.
"That (the dating app) is his primary source for locating victims. Previously, he was based in Penang, and when he moved to KL in 2021, he became very active on that app to find people here," the victim explained.
She added that the bartender was fired from his job in KL and relocated to Penang, but would still use the app to find women in both cities.
The victim went on to say that she personally knows four women who have been allegedly abused by the bartender.
Another victim, who also wishes to remain anonymous, claimed that the bartender would use his mental illness to gain sympathy from his victims
"He told me he was diagnosed with bipolar, schizophrenia, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which he said he developed from his past abusive relationship. But, he used these mental conditions to get pity from his victims.
"He would also go out of his way to manipulate his victims by love bombing them and video calling them every night, claiming he couldn't sleep because of his mental conditions," said the victim.
She went on to say that the bartender would also tell his victims that he was looking for a serious relationship and would convince them by deleting dating apps to appear committed.
"I didn’t know that there were other victims until he went viral online. I saw how more and more people shared similar stories, and I realised (his modus operandi is) honestly 'copy and paste'. Whatever he did to one victim, he'll do it to others too," she added.
SAYS has reached out to the bartender, who is seeking legal counsel. He is currently preparing a statement but has no comment at present
After the X thread that was uploaded by the user who first highlighted the bartender's purported abusive acts went viral, more victims have come forward with similar allegations of rape, as well as sexual and mental abuse
However, it is currently unknown whether any of the victims have filed a police report.
If you or someone you know may be at risk or has experienced sexual abuse or assault, please reach out to these Malaysian organisations:
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: Monday to Friday (9.30am - 5.30pm)
Contact: +603-78770224
WhatsApp/Telegram: +6016-2284221 | +6016-2374221
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
3. WOMEN'S CENTRE FOR CHANGE PENANG (WCC PENANG)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +604-2280342 | +604-3988340
WhatsApp: +6011-31084001 | +6016-4180342
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
4. SARAWAK WOMEN FOR WOMEN SOCIETY (SWWS)
Operating hours: Monday (7pm - 9pm),Tuesday to Thursday (9.30am - 11.30am), Saturday (2pm - 4pm)
Contact: +6082-368853
SMS/WhatsApp: +6016-5822660 | +6013-8044285
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
5. SABAH WOMEN'S ACTION-RESOURCE GROUP (SAWO)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +6088-280200 | +6011-27908020
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
6. PROTECT AND SAVE THE CHILDREN (PS THE CHILDREN)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (3pm - 12am)
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.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
If you or anyone you know is lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, please call these Malaysian hotlines:
1. BEFRIENDERS KL
24-hour
Contact: +603-76272929
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
2. TALIAN KASIH
24-hour
Contact: 15999
WhatsApp: +6019-2615999
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook
3. BUDDY BEAR CHILDLINE
Daily (12pm - 12am)
Contact: 1800-18-2327
Email: [email protected]
Facebook | Instagram
For a more thorough directory of resources, head over to the websites of Malaysian Mental Health Association or MINDAKAMI.
