‘We are all Jane Does’: S’pore woman recounts being punched by elderly man after resisting unwanted touch at 15
A woman has spoken out about how she was allegedly punched by an elderly man after she defended herself from unwanted touching when she was 15.
The woman recounted the incident in a post on her Instagram account, @hellokatetan, while referencing the alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell University — located in the state of New York, US — for which a criminal investigation was recently reopened.
“I am Jane Doe. We are all Jane Does,” read the caption on one of the slides, referring to the pseudonym used by the alleged victim in the Cornell case.
The carousel post, shared on Oct 1, has garnered more than 1,000 likes and dozens of comments.
‘We are all Jane Does’
Recalling the incident, the woman, whose name is Kate Tan, said she had been out for a walk with her mother at around 5pm in Tanah Merah when an elderly man cycled towards them, whistled at her, and said in Mandarin: “Xiao mei mei (little girl), so pretty, come here.”
Although she avoided eye contact with the man, Tan said he reached out and tried to touch her.
She added that she was wearing an oversized T-shirt and workout shorts that extended past the mid-way point of her thigh.
Tan said she raised both hands to defend herself and pushed the man away, causing him to fall off his bicycle.
After he fell, Tan said the man got up “with such rage”, rushed towards her and began punching her.
“Even after I crouched down, he punched my head and back over and over again,” Tan wrote. She added that her mother stood nearby in fear and did not dare to intervene.
Tan said she has little recollection of the incident, but recalled that the man left after venting his anger on her.
As her injuries were not severe, Tan said she and her mother did not make a police report. “But I believe that stemmed from a broken system that raised us as well,” she wrote.
Having purportedly experienced similar treatment from men on other occasions, Tan stressed that such behaviour was “not okay”.
“I am a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a granddaughter, a friend, an aunt,” she said, adding that what she wears, her age, or whether she is intoxicated does not justify such acts against her or any other woman.
“We can, as humans, do better, and we can use our voices to shine light on what has been hidden,” Tan wrote.
Stomp has reached out to Tan for comment.
Shared about incident as Cornell 7 rape case reopens
Tan said she shared the incident amid renewed attention on the rape allegations in the 2024 Cornell University case, also known as the “Cornell 7” case, following the reopening of investigations.
She said she was not ready to share details of her own experience of sexual assault, but chose to recount the incident involving the elderly man.
Many netizens left heartfelt messages in the comments, praising her courage in sharing her personal experience publicly.
One user urged Tan to “keep fighting”.
“Hopefully, stories like yours and the situation at Cornell will help bring about positive change,” another wrote.
Investigation into alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell University reopened
An investigation into an Cornell 7 case was reopened on Sept 28, following renewed scrutiny over a civil lawsuit filed by the alleged victim.
The woman, then 20, alleged that seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity gave her alcohol and drugs until she was too intoxicated to consent before sexually assaulting her. The lawsuit also cited Snapchat group chat messages allegedly encouraging others to participate.
Prosecutors did not pursue criminal charges in 2024, citing differences between the allegations in the lawsuit and the woman’s initial account to campus police. Her lawyer disputed this, saying the two accounts were not materially different.
Cornell University said it supported the district attorney’s decision to reopen investigations. The school had previously imposed disciplinary measures, including expulsions and suspensions, and barred the fraternity chapter from campus since 2024.
The seven men named in the lawsuit have not been criminally charged in connection with the allegations, which have not been proven in court.
Content creators identify as ‘Jane Does’ and share their experiences
The reopened investigation has sparked widespread discussion online, prompting women around the world to identify themselves as Jane Does and share their own experiences.
On Oct 2, local TikToker @clara.slays, whose real name is Clara, weighed in on the Cornell 7 case, emphasising that women should prioritise safety and take steps to protect themselves.
Citing the example of being blackout drunk in a public space, she said it is “irresponsible” to put oneself in a situation where they are unaware of their surroundings or belongings and have to rely on others to get them home.
“Rely on yourself,” said Clara.
Content creator @clairejia23 also weighed in on the Cornell 7 case on Sept 30. Her post has garnered more than 400,000 views and 660 comments.
Using the hashtag “#cornell” in her caption, she poses several questions highlighting safety issues faced by women and girls, starting with the phrase “not all men”.
Clairejia23, whose real name is Claire, begins by asking whether people would feel more comfortable hiring a male or female babysitter
“Not all men, but if your daughter showed up drunk to a house for help, would you rather that house be filled with 57 men or 57 women?” she asks.
She ends by asking why it takes hypothetical situations involving one’s own loved ones for people to take violence against women seriously.
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