Sorry got cure? Apparently not, at least according to dissatisfied students after Thursday's town hall, especially if the apology is insincere.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) town hall, chaired by Professor Peter Pang and Professor Florence Ling, took a mere 90 minutes and failed to pacify the students.

Professor Florence Ling apologised to the victim, Monica Baey, at the start of the town hall, admitting that NUS has failed her. However, it gradually went downhill from there.

Insincerity?

Despite repeated accusations of taking the sexual offences lightly, Professor Peter Pang continued to avoid the term "sexual assault" and continued to call the various incidents "sexual misconduct", with his words reducing the severity of the offences.

A Yale-NUS student pointed out that the school administration promised workshops on consent and sexual misconduct after the orientation scandal three years ago, and these promises did not materialised. According to the student, any student organisations that tried to open conversation regarding consent and sexual assault faced a lot of resistance from the administration.

Other students stepped forward with their own experiences of being sexually assaulted on campus.

Another student also called out the school for lying about the two-strike policy. NUS' statement to the press claimed that students found guilty of "sexual misconduct" would be given a chance and they would then be expelled the second time round.

26 cases of sexual offences

Disciplinary records, readily available on the university's student portal, showed that there were 26 cases of sexual assault over the last three academic years.

Most of the offenders were given slaps on the wrist, with light punishments such as suspension, being made to write apology letters and community services. Some were also fined between $500 and $1,000.

Many were outraged that none of the students were expelled, even when the offenders had actually committed multiple acts of sexual assault.

A student who had reoffended was not expelled either. His first offence, he had trespassed into a female toilet and peeped at a female student showering. The police issued him a 12-month conditional warning, while NUS barred him from campus residences, issued an official reprimand and find him $500. He was also made to do community services.

The same student later outraged the modesty of another female student.

He appealed his expulsion successfully by claiming a psychiatric disorder.

Paedophile?

In the academic year 2016 to 2017, a student was also listed to have entered a children's toilet and filmed children in the adjacent cubicle on multiple occasions. The police issued him a 24-month conditional warning and he was suspended from school.

Rapist?

According to DJ Jade Rasif, also currently a student at NUS, a student was raped and yet the perpetrator was only suspended for a year.

She claimed that the report stated that there was penetration with razor, which she explained means that the perpetrator had actually admitted to the police that he inserted razor blades into his victim's vagina.

Conclusion?

The town hall, being only 90 minutes, did not come to anything conclusive.

The students who claimed to have attended the meeting were left feeling that their concerns were not adequately addressed. Reactions on social media ranged from disappointment to anger.

The NUS Students’ Union EXCO also shared a statement in which they criticised the administration for not putting the town hall as their top priority. Many students have cleared their schedules to attend the meeting but were unable to voice their concerns.

Despite asking for an extension to the town hall so that more students could voice their views, the professors chairing the meeting had refused, claiming that they have another meeting to attend.

The students were told to email their concerns to the school instead.