Tan was taking a shower at Strength Master Gym when she noticed a phone slipped in from the bottom of the cubicle door. — Image by user18526052 on Freepik
SINGAPORE: Fitness instructor Drealya Tan was taking a shower at Strength Masters Gym in Tai Seng when she noticed a phone being slipped in from under the cubicle door.
She realised the phone was being used to record a video of her, and lodged a police report later that day.
Tan, 26, said it was her first time working out at Strength Master Gym, which she had heard about from friends. She lives nearby and reached there at about 6pm on Sept 29.
The gym session was uneventful, but soon after she went to the showers, things took a turn for the worse.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Tan said: “When I saw the phone, I felt very violated, disgusted and helpless. I was in such a vulnerable position where I could not do anything, I couldn’t run out naked.
“I screamed loudly, but nobody came to help.”
She decided to call the police and remained in the toilet until they arrived.
In response to queries, the police said they received a call for help at about 7.30pm on Sept 29 from 3 Irving Road, off Upper Paya Lebar Road, where the gym is located. Investigations are ongoing, they added.
Tan, who works at Pure Fitness gym, said a gym employee later told her that its closed-circuit TV cameras caught two men lurking outside the female shower room. They appeared to be gym members.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Tan went public with her account of the incident and how it has affected her.
In her post, she said: “I am seeking awareness so that people can be more vigilant when using gym shower facilities. It is distressing to think that the videos taken of me while I was showering may have been shared or distributed online.”
In response to queries, a spokesman for the gym described the incident as a “rogue act that had blatant disregard of the rules and regulations”.
The spokesman said: “We have always taken and will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure that all members feel safe and comfortable working out at the gym.”
Strength Masters Gym said in a statement this is the first time it has received such a complaint. “We view any acts of voyeurism very seriously and are taking the necessary internal investigations and fully cooperating with the authorities,” it added. – The Straits Times (Singapore)/Asia News Network
