SEXUAL ABUSE CASES INVOLVING WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports (a) what is the trend of sexual abuse cases involving women and children and (b) what measures are being put in place to deal with and deter such abuse.

Assoc. Prof. Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, the number of sexual abuse cases involving children and women in Singapore has been constant for the past 3 years. There were about 400 cases investigated by the Police per year for the last two years for girls below 16 years. There was a slight decrease among those aged 16 years and above from 805 in 2000 to 711 in 2001.

Victims are given professional help and support to minimise the traumatic impact so that they are able to lead meaningful lives. In the event that the victim and perpetrator are staying in the same household, the victim will be removed to a place of safety. The National Standards on the Protection of Children launched by my Ministry in February this year ensures that the management of child protection, including sexual abuse, will be prompt and handled with the child's interest as a priority. The courts also mete out deterrent sentences on perpetrators of child abuse.

At the preventive level, key professionals, including medical social workers, doctors, police, social workers, pre-school and child care teachers are trained to identify symptoms of abuse and reach out to victims early. Furthermore, the Police preventive measures of sexual abuse run at two levels. For the general population, Police conducts school talks for students on the prevention of sexual abuse, for example, how not to fall prey to molesters and avert sex predators on the prowl in the Internet Relay Chat. Students are also advised on what to do if one is a victim. A total of 243 such school talks were conducted in 2001. In addition, Police disseminates advice on the prevention of sexual abuse through brochures and posters displayed at service counters of police establishments, schools and family service centres. 'Crimewatch' is another medium which Police uses to educate the public on such crime prevention messages.

For specific target groups, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) conducts training sessions on the law governing various types of sexual offences and on police procedures to deal with them. These target groups include MOE school teachers and members of the Parents Advisory Group for the Internet (PAGi). As these individuals have regular contact with children and adolescents in their respective vocations, the training provided by CID creates awareness on how to prevent, detect and report instances of sexual abuse. With greater awareness, caregivers and victims alike can take necessary steps to prevent sexual abuse.

Mdm Halimah Yacob (Jurong): Sir, can the Minister give us a profile of the families at risk, ie, the families that are involved in such cases?

Assoc. Prof. Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, from the data we have, we see no significant trend in terms of the types of families which are involved. Some cases do not get reported.