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Jakarta Post

Female shoppers keep eyes wide open in city's public toilets

Female mall visitors have said they started being watchful each time they use public toilets in the wake of an alleged sexual harassment case toward a local actress in a toilet cubicle recently

Eny Wulandari (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, July 16, 2010 Published on Jul. 16, 2010 Published on 2010-07-16T12:39:59+07:00

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Female shoppers keep eyes wide open in city's public toilets

F

emale mall visitors have said they started being watchful each time they use public toilets in the wake of an alleged sexual harassment case toward a local actress in a toilet cubicle recently.

Actress Febby Febiola reported a university student to the Tanah Abang sub-precinct police after she spotted him videotaping her with his BlackBerry while using the toilet in a South Jakarta mall last month.

Momon, 25, said Tuesday she would now be extra careful when using public toilets.

"I will start checking the condition of the toilet cubicle in case a camera is hidden in the wall," Momon said at Blok M Square shopping center, South Jakarta.

She admitted she had not yet suffered a similar experience, but the case had prompted her to be more vigilant.

Nani, 30, said has always been careful to inspect cubicle before using them in case someone was recording her.

"I'll keep doing such thing and be extra careful," the mother of three said at Ciputra Mall, West Jakarta.

As an extra deterrent against potential perverts who might tape her in private, Nani asks her friends to stand watch outside the toilet cubicle.

Besides Febby's case, other female actresses - Sarah Azhari, Rachel Maryam, Femmy Permatasari, Yosefanny Waas, Shanty and Meggy Megawati - were caught on hidden camera changing clothes at a modelling agency in 1997.

Budi Han, one of the perpetrators, was sentenced to one year in jail for his involvement in the case.

Aside from personal awareness, Momon and Nani expected shopping mall operators to pay more attention to the safety of the toilet.

Another resident, Ijah Ajijah, echoed their sentiments, saying that a janitor should be assigned to look out for each toilet.

"If something goes wrong, we can report to them or security officers," Ijah said.

In response to the demand, two elite shopping malls in the city have ensured they have strict security measures to prevent perverts from sneaking in and out of female toilets.

Sri Ayu Ningsih, public relations and tenant relation manager of Senayan City mall, said the management had recruited toilet attendants who were in charge of looking out for undesirables.

"We lock the toilets after operational hours for security," Ayu said, adding the toilets at the mall were only open from 10 a.m, until 10 p.m.

The mall has security guards on each floor and has installed CCTV in each corridor to monitor activities inside the mall, she said.

"Our toilet's designs meet the international standard hence there's a very limited space for anyone to place their cellphone and record," she said.

Chorie Arland, marketing communication manager of Plaza Indonesia, said the high-class shopping center was assigning each janitor who was taking care for a toilet not for other rooms as well.

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