RISING NUMBER OF RAPE AND MOLEST CASES

Parliament of Singapore · 12 October 1993

Official Report, 12 October 1993, Vol 61, Issue 7 · Open in the reader (summaries, search, filters)

Chia Shi TeckS Jayakumar

Mr Chia Shi Teck asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the introduction of R(A) films over the recent years has caused the number of rape and molest cases to rise.

Prof. S. Jayakumar: Molest cases have registered an upward trend from 1987 even before the introduction of R(A) films in 1991. Police attributes this partly to the increased preparedness of victims to make Police reports in the context of increased awareness of their rights and easy accessibility to Neighbourhood Police Posts throughout the country.

The number of rape cases, on the other hand, shows no discernable trend, fluctuating between a high of 111 cases (in 1986 and 1990) and a low of 74 cases (in 1991).

It is therefore not possible to conclude that the introduction of R(A) films has caused an increase in sexual crimes in Singapore. Nevertheless, Police is closely monitoring the situation.

Source: Singapore Parliament Official Report (Hansard) for 12 October 1993. Republished on SGParliament.