SINGAPORE – The Cornell 7 gang rape case in the United States has spurred some women to call attention to sexual harm in Singapore.
Speaking out on social media, a few Singaporeans are expressing support for Jane Doe – the legal placeholder name used for anonymous victims of crime – and adding their voices to a worldwide movement against sexual assault. These women are also sharing their own experiences of predatory male behaviour and sexual violence, hoping it might help other women.
They say they want to raise awareness about the issues raised in the Cornell University case – such as the importance of consent and the danger posed by the bystander effect, where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when others are present – and show these are also relevant in Singapore, where public discussion about sexual violence and misogyny is rare.
“Singapore is very safe”
In September, a woman, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University and her alleged attackers, now known as the Cornell 7. She alleged that she was drugged and raped, while intoxicated, in a fraternity house at the Ivy League university.
The incident took place in October 2024 when Jane Doe was a 20-year-old Cornell undergraduate. Seven men from the university’s Chi Phi fraternity allegedly sexually assaulted her for hours, during which she lost consciousness.
As the alleged rape took place, there was a discussion in a group chat of the fraternity on Snapchat, said to have 57 members, where coarse language was used, including a message about a “free” sexual encounter with Jane Doe.
Two of the perpetrators were expelled, while Cornell imposed other disciplinary measures on the rest. Part of the punishment for two other defendants involved writing “essays”.
The case, which sparked global headlines, prompted Eunice Chua, 33, to post recently about her own encounter with sexual harassment, which she says she had never told anyone about.
The owner of VEU Alchemist, which offers image consulting, make-up services and personalised colour analysis, tells The Straits Times why she chose to speak out: “What if the seven guys from the Cornell 7 case, or others like them, were out there doing the same thing to other women? What if it were an underaged girl?”
She says she wants to make herself “louder and bigger” in raising awareness of sexual violence, which is not always physical.
In a video she posted on TikTok and Instagram in October, headlined “We Are Jane Does”, she spoke about starting her business in March 2025.
She had posted her business contact details to answer inquiries and take appointment bookings, and was happy to get her first message soon after the launch of her website.
The person asked if she did home visits, then asked her to come over to perform a sexual act on him. Shocked, she took a screenshot and blocked and deleted the contact.
She took down her business contact number and office address but began to fear for her safety.
A while later, she installed CCTV cameras at her workplace and took the opportunity to move to another office in January 2026 once her lease agreement ended. She did not confide in anyone, concerned they might brush it off as an over-reaction.
After the incident, she became acutely aware of how she interacted with men, especially strangers. If a man happened to enter a lift with her, she ensured as much distance between them as possible. If he occupied a corner of the elevator, she positioned herself in the corner diagonally opposite.
“Now, I’ll think: ‘Ok, we are in an enclosed space. What could happen? How can I escape if anything happens?’ Honestly, you can never get over it,” she says.
“I know there are good men and they do not deserve such cautiousness from us, but at the same time, they would never understand what women go through.”
The World Health Organization estimates that, globally, one in three women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, mostly by an intimate partner.
While women are disproportionately victims of sexual violence, male sexual victimisation has traditionally been significantly under-reported due to factors like stigma and jurisdictions that define rape as being perpetrated against a woman.
Chua says: “Singapore is a very safe country. I never really thought that such things would happen and it happened to me. But at the same time, people might not be able to speak up easily because we keep saying that Singapore is a very safe country.”
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