WIFE-BATTERING CASES FROM 1983 TO 1992

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many wife-battering cases were reported from 1983 to 1992 and of them, how many were prosecuted; (b) what are the reasons for non-prosecution; and (c) what training police officers receive to deal with domestic violence cases.

Prof. S. Jayakumar: Between January 1989 and October 1993, there were 43 reported cases of domestic violence where the wife is the victim of an offence of voluntarily causing hurt by Dangerous Weapons or Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt. (Statistics for the preceding period are not available.).

Police view seriously all cases of domestic violence especially where grievous hurt is caused. Police will prosecute the offenders where there is sufficient evidence. Of the 43 cases I mentioned, 18 resulted in prosecution. Police were unable to prosecute in the other 25 cases for various reasons. For example, in some cases the victim refused to co-operate with Police to go for medical examination and in other cases, complainants made police reports apparently to buttress their case for divorce.

As for the training of Police officers, they are trained to handle such cases in their basic training courses at the Police Academy. They are also taught counselling and communications skills and crisis intervention techniques.