SINGAPORE: Among the 227 cases of molestation in homes in the first half of the year, 38 per cent involved victims under the age of 16.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim said this in Parliament on Sept 9, in response to a question from Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC).
She had asked about the breakdown of molestation cases which involved offenders who exploited their positions of trust or power, and the proportion of cases which involved victims under the age of 16.
Zhulkarnain said the police do not track the number of molestation cases involving offenders who exploited positions of power.
He said the police have implemented various measures to raise awareness and to encourage reporting of such crimes.
This includes the police working with the Ministry of Education and schools to raise students’ awareness of sexual crimes and to encourage students to report their concerns and seek help from trusted adults.
There were a total of 762 cases of molestation in the first half of 2026, up from 739 in the first half of 2025, said the police in their mid-year crime report. Besides residential premises, many of the other cases occurred on public transport and at public entertainment outlets.
The police said outrage of modesty was a top crime of concern, alongside shop theft and theft in dwelling.
In 2025, there were 1,531 molestation cases, and 1,427 such cases in 2024.
Most molestation cases involved offenders and victims who knew each other.
Lim also asked whether the government had any initiatives to ascertain the extent of unreported crime, and to find out why victims were not reporting such offences.
Zhulkarnain acknowledged that unreported sexual crimes in homes were a concern, and said the authorities have several measures to increase awareness and facilitate the reporting of such offences.
Victims who report sexual crimes at police stations can indicate they are doing so at the queue management kiosks. They will be given priority and be interviewed in a private space.
One-Stop Forensic Examination (OneSafe) Centres at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), Singapore General Hospital and the National University Hospital allow victims to undergo police interviews and forensic examination at a single location.
Younger victims will have multidisciplinary interviews by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and KKH to ensure the reporting process is done smoothly and in the presence of a safe adult.
Zhulkarnain said the police also works with community partners to provide long-term counselling and emotional support for victims. - The Straits Times/ANN
