Law Society distances from VP after rape victim comments on LinkedIn cause outcry

In a brief statement on Tuesday (25 March), the Law Society confirmed the resignation of its vice-president and council member Chia Boon Teck who faced backlash over his online remarks surrounding a rape case. 

Checks by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE revealed that Chia's photo and profile has been removed from the Law Society's website. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to the Law Society of Singapore for more information. 

Chia highlighted 10 points in relation to the case which drew immediate criticism from fellow LinkedIn users and the wider digital community, including the law and home affairs minister himself. These posts have since been deleted.

In the statement from the Law Society, the organisation said, "We thank Chia for his service and contributions during his tenure on council and wish him well in his future endeavours." His resignation came shortly after Lisa Sam, president of the Law Society, formally asked Chia to step down from his position, saying his comments and views on rape were "unacceptable". 

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"The victim's morality should not have been questioned in this manner. Such comments and views are also inimical for a person in a position of leadership to espouse," she added. 

All of this occurred following the conviction of former Wah!Banana scriptwriter and actor Lev Panfilov last week. The matter escalated to the point where even K. Shanmugam, Singapore's law and home affairs minister, expressed his surprise about the comments made by Chia.

"Mr Chia has expressed his personal views. But he is also the Vice President of the Law Society. My concern is that some people might actually think that the views he has expressed indicate the norms in Singapore. And I worry what impact his statement may have on other victims," he said.

According to screenshots shared by K. Shanmugam, Chia described the 30-year-old victim as “not exactly a babe in the woods". He also commented, “Wow. Was she awake during this marathon," referencing the sexual assault she was subjected to. Additionally, Chia referred to the fact that the two met on a dating app, stating, "What's Tinder well-known for? It ain't no LinkedIn."

Shanmugam also expressed that society refrained from typecasting women. 

"We ought to refrain from typecasting women, who are often victims of sexual assault. Lawyers, in particular those in senior positions representing the legal profession, need to be mindful that when we make statements which minimise or dismiss victims’ concerns, that can have a disproportionate impact on other victims, who may then not be willing to report what happened to them," he added. 

Additionally, Shanmugam stated that shaming and blaming victims "steps over the line", and misogyny should have no place in society. 

The bounce-back

While organisations can set rules in place, it is often difficult to police what members say online. So how can societies safeguard themselves and take the right actions when a crisis hits?

In this instance, industry professionals MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to said the Law Society acted swiftly and affirmatively, noting that few would believe Chia’s comments represented the views of the organisation. However, while swift action helped contain the situation, experts argue that prevention is just as crucial as reaction.

That being said, Edwin Yeo, general manager at Strategic Public Relations Group stated that reevaluating its internal processes regarding social media postings and ethic checks for leadership candidates wouldn’t hurt.

Yeo also noted that there needs to be a quick analysis of the incident and an immediate response strategy developed when such incidents do happen.

“All organisations will have values that they live by, and if any staff, be it senior leadership or junior staff, do not represent those values, they must take immediate action, to send the message that the organisation takes its values seriously,” he said.

Having a crisis playbook, clear internal guidelines, and a rapid response team in place before things go wrong is also crucial for an organisation’s preparation, explained Lars Voedisch, founder and CEO of PRecious Communications.

“This is where a good partner can come in, not just during a crisis, but well before it,” he added.

Voedisch also stated that organisations should stress-test scenarios, craft core messaging, and build muscle memory to act fast and stay aligned with its values when the pressure hits.

While preparation and a quick response are essential, Jose Raymond, managing director at SW Strategies pointed out that it would be important to set social media rules for officer bearers to ensure some form of control over what appointment holders can and cannot say.

“It is hard to detach oneself completely and say something on a personal level when you hold an important position in society. This should be a lesson for everyone who aspires to hold office,” he added.

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