SINGAPORE: For this week’s sessions in Parliament, MPs from the Workers’ Party (WP) have filed questions in relation to better protection from sexual predators for minors in Singapore.
This comes in light of the recent horrific report of two young brothers who were sexually abused by a man who called himself a religious mentor. He had taken the boys under his wing and acted as a father figure of sorts to them.
While the man was given a jail sentence of 27 years and 10 months, as well as 24 strokes of the cane, much has been made of the damage his abuse has wrought on the brothers.
“Systemic gaps exist in providing safeguards to protect victims from (repeat) offenders,” the WP wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday (Sep 6), pointing out that the man had already been arrested in 2021 for having molested a minor, but was released on bail the same day.
Despite this previous arrest, the man “continued to present himself as a trusted authority figure to minors, conducting unaccredited classes for youths,” the WP added.
The post also highlighted that there has been an increase of almost 32% in outrage of modesty cases in residential premises from January to July this year, with over half of the cases involving offenders known to their victims, with the party calling for a review of statutory penalties and additional deterrents as there is a need for stricter safeguards.
The WP added that there is a lack of tools for parents, non-regulated sectors, and community organisations to screen authority figures before entrusting them with children.
Aljunied MPs Sylvia Lim, Gerald Giam, Fadli Fawzi, as well as Sengkang MPs He Ting Ru and Abdul Muhaimin, will be asking the following questions:
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Why was an unaccredited individual sentenced for serious sexual offences able to conduct youth classes, and what safeguards have been implemented to ensure only accredited instructors conduct classes?
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Will the Ministry consider introducing a consent-based SingPass vetting mechanism for prospective instructors, coaches, tutors, and volunteers to verify the absence of past child sexual offence convictions without disclosing full criminal histories?
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What immediate and long-term support, including mental health care, is provided to child victims of prolonged sexual abuse, and how is continuity of care ensured?
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What proportion of residential outrage of modesty cases in early 2026 involved offenders exploiting positions of trust or victims under age 16, and will police consider further public education to encourage reporting in domestic contexts?
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How does the Ministry ensure the Sexuality Education curriculum’s approach to gender-based violence remains relevant and effective, and is any review planned? /TISG
Read also: Ex-PAP MP Amrin Amin: Abuse of 2 brothers by religious influencer is ‘horrifying’
