Published on: 29 May 2021
Students for a Safer NUS is aware of an Instagram account, @durian.dot, which shares anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct. We understand that the creators are coming from a place of good intentions: to raise awareness of alleged abuse that has occurred. As SafeNUS believes in taking a restorative approach to raising awareness and combating sexual violence, we would like to reach out to any NUS students who are affected by the events that were posted on the account.
While we understand the public’s concern that allegations of sexual misconduct are serious and should not be made flippantly, discussions of allegations need to be survivor-centric. SafeNUS’ work centres on the needs and concerns of survivors. We urge both the creators of @durian.dot and the public to adopt a survivor-centric approach in addressing sexual violence. This entails being mindful of the effects of one’s words on survivors who may chance upon this account. Having to revisit one’s story and read comments disputing the credibility of the allegations can be re-traumatising for survivors, who already face unnecessary scrutiny and victim-blaming.
We have also noticed several comments on the page that seem to follow this logic: that the survivor is fabricating lies to damage the reputations of the accused, who is respected by those around them. This may stem from a misconception that perpetrators are typically fringe individuals who do not exist among us.
This assumption is dangerous. There are no common features that can be used to identify a perpetrator. A perpetrator can be someone who is held in high regard in our communities. They can be someone whom the victim regularly interacts with or even trusts. They can even be an authority figure in our lives. The assumption that perpetrators cannot commit sexual harm because they are seemingly respected individuals is harmful to survivors, who might feel even more deterred from speaking out for fear of not being believed. For more information, you can refer to one of our earlier posts titled “Challenging Common Myths about Sexual Assault”.
SafeNUS also acknowledges that different survivors have different ways of coping, and there may be some who disagree with @durian.dot’s approach. Navigating trauma and the effects of sexual violence is a deeply complex and subjective experience, with no one-size-fits-all approach. We would also like to urge the creators and the public to be mindful of this in their engagement.
Lastly, @durian.dot’s attempts to raise awareness, albeit imperfect, points to wider systemic failures in protecting survivors in the aftermath. SafeNUS believes that the conversation needs to shift towards addressing these failures, instead of overly focusing on a punitive approach directed at individuals. Ultimately, we should listen to survivors, understand their experiences, and commit to supporting them.
Apart from reaching out to SafeNUS, here are some other avenues for support that you can turn to:
SACC (Sexual Assault Care Centre)
+65 6779 0282
(For NUS students) NUS Care Unit
+65 6601 4000
(For NUS students) University Counselling Services
+65 6516 2376
If you have reported or are planning to report your case to the police, you may make a request to the police for a Victim Care Officer to provide you with care services and assistance.
https://www.police.gov.sg/Advisories/Crime/Sexual-Assault (Sexual Crime Information Pamphlet)
If your case is proceeding to Court as a criminal case, you may receive support under the Witness Support Programme if eligible.
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