Woman Catches KL Ice Cream Parlour Staff Filming Her While She Was Using The Toilet
The victim recounted her distressing encounter to SAYS, encouraging others to stay vigilant and take caution.
Last week, a part-time employee at an ice cream café in Kuala Lumpur invaded a young woman's privacy while she was using the restroom
The victim, whose identity is being kept confidential, promptly reported the incident to the police. She recounted her distressing encounter to SAYS, encouraging others to stay vigilant and take caution.
The incident occurred at 3.30pm on 14 September after the victim arrived at the dessert shop with a friend. After making a purchase, she headed to the café's unisex restroom.
"I proceeded towards the restroom [...] Inside, I found only two stalls, choosing the one further from the entrance. [...] There were noticeable gaps at the top and bottom of the wall separating the stalls," the victim told SAYS over a WhatsApp conversation on Friday, 15 September.
While in the stall, she became alarmed when she heard someone entering the adjacent stall and noticed a phone being held up, presumably aimed at her.
"When I was nearly finished in the restroom, I heard someone enter and occupy the adjacent stall. Initially, I didn't find this suspicious [...] However, after about 10 seconds an eerie silence fell.
"Concerned about my privacy, I inspected the gaps, ensuring there were no signs of cameras or phones. I pulled up my trousers before spotting an individual holding up a green phone. At that moment, I panicked and shouted, 'Hey, who is this?'", the victim told SAYS.
At this point, the suspect swiftly lowered the phone and left the stall. However, the victim spotted him walking through the corridor at a fast pace and positioning himself behind the pastry counter.
"He was holding the same exact phone I saw in the restroom," the victim said, adding that he appeared to be engrossed in his phone, presumably deleting any videos or photos that he had taken of her.
When the victim confronted the individual, he denied any wrongdoing
In a state of panic, the victim approached the female cashier and repeatedly told her, "He filmed me in the toilet". Two other female customers present at the time were also startled by the accusation.
The concerned cashier then contacted the store owner, who was present on-site.
"The store owner examined the man's photo gallery and recently deleted files but found nothing incriminating," she said, adding that she regretted not taking his phone away from him before seeking help.
"When the store owner asked him if he filmed anything, he said 'No'. That was the only thing he said throughout the whole confrontation. When I told him, 'Do not do this to any other girls', he looked at me straight in the eye and stayed silent," the victim shared with SAYS.
Despite the lack of evidence, the store owner offered their full cooperation to the victim, saying that the shop was willing to share closed circuit television (CCTV) footage of the corridor leading to the restroom. However, due to privacy concerns, there were no cameras inside the restroom itself.
Following which, the victim filed a police report the next day, 15 September.
SAYS has obtained a copy of the police report along with the receipt of the victim's order.
Meanwhile, the store owner told SAYS on 18 September that the man's part-time employment with them was terminated immediately
According to the store owner, the suspect is a student and had been working part-time at the dessert shop for a very short period and was supposed to end his stint last Saturday, 16 September.
"When this incident happened, he was supposed to have a shift the following morning. [But] we terminated him immediately," the store owner told SAYS, adding that they have cooperated with the police.
The store owner also shared that they installed additional cameras the day after the incident to demonstrate their commitment to customers' safety. According to him, 90% of the staff working there are female, and most of his customers are also female.
Following the police report, the suspect has admitted to filming the victim when she was using the restroom at the dessert shop
The suspect has since sent the victim a written apology.
In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by SAYS, he acknowledged his actions and took responsibility for the harm and trauma that he caused to the victim and her family.
"I would like to deeply and humbly apologise for my wrongdoings for the harm I caused to the victim, and I fully understand the severity of my actions for the crime that I committed on Thursday," the suspect wrote in the letter while also providing a detailed account of the events that transpired.
The perpetrator said he went to use the restroom to relieve himself but decided to record the victim after succumbing to "intrusive thoughts".
"[However, it] ended up with me getting caught in the act. This is not an excuse for my actions due to my lack of awareness, self-discipline, and principles. I panicked as I realised the severity of what I had done and then tried to leave the scene, walking to the front counter," he wrote.
In the letter, he stated that after he was caught, he deleted the video, which he "did not" look at. Later at 7.41pm the same day, police called him in for questioning that went on for a couple of hours.
"I was given a stern and final warning by the officer, reminding me of the severity of my actions and to never do it again. He further stated that any posts that the victim posted of me would be my responsibility and I would have to bear the consequences. I truly understand that what I did is irreversible and cannot be fixed," he said.
He said his parents are aware of the incident, adding that he will be undergoing professional counselling with a psychiatrist to address the root cause of his immoral actions.
"I sincerely promise I would never do any sort of acts like this ever again and will do my absolute best to try to be a better person and live on with the crime that I have committed," he wrote.
Additionally, the victim, in an effort to raise awareness, urged businesses to review their safety guidelines and ensure privacy in toilets
As such, she said gender-neutral toilets should be fully enclosed to mitigate any risk of harassment.
She also advised women to stay vigilant when out in public places.
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: telenita@awam.org.my
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: wcc@wccpenang.org
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: sarswws@gmail.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter
5. SABAH WOMEN'S ACTION-RESOURCE GROUP (SAWO)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +6088-280200 | +6011-27908020
Email: sawo.women@yahoo.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter
6. PROTECT AND SAVE THE CHILDREN (PS THE CHILDREN)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (3pm - 12am)
WhatsApp: +6016-7213065
Email: protect@psthechildren.org.my
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.
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