The Star/Asia News Network
Friday, Nov 02, 2012
PENANG, Malaysia - Two molest cases in the span of two months at a high-rise flat in Relau here has led a 70-year-old woman to carry a safety pin to "protect" her 12-year-old granddaughter.
The grandmother, who only wanted to be known as Lim, said she would use the pin to protect herself and her granddaughter whom she accompanies to the school bus early in the morning.
"At least the safety pin can help protect us in case something happens," Lim said at the flat yesterday.
The most recent molest took place on Saturday morning in a lift when an Indonesian woman was attacked by a man wearing a reddish helmet with a visor.
The closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) footage showed the suspect on a black motorcycle following the woman into the building.
She got into the lift on the ground floor at about 8.28am and the man entered about 14 seconds later from another floor.
The suspect was seen approaching the victim and talking to her for about 30 seconds before the lift door opened.
He then tried to remove her blue miniskirt and hug the victim who pushed him away.
The victim tried to reach the control buttons but was blocked by the suspect.
She pleaded to be released and was allowed to leave at one of the upper floors.
The suspect then came down using the same lift before leaving the flat at about 8.31am.
According to a joint management committee member of the flat, a similar case occurred in September.
It is believed that the first victim was also a foreigner and the suspect in that case was wearing a full-faced helmet too.
He said there were seven CCTVs at the two blocks of flats, including one in each of the two elevators per block.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng said the case is being investigated under Section 354 of the Penal Code for using criminal force to outrage the victim's modesty.
