Between 2021 and 2025, there were 36 prosecutions in Singapore involving individuals who either mistreated children under their care or allowed others to abuse them, according to Senior Minister K. Shanmugam. The cases were charged under Section 6 of the Children and Young Persons Act, which criminalizes ill-treatment of a child or young person by those responsible for their custody or care, including permitting another person to inflict harm. While this includes sexual abuse, the authorities do not maintain separate statistics for cases specifically involving the allowance of sexual abuse.
Shanmugam provided the information in response to a parliamentary question on October 6 regarding family members charged with failing to protect children from sexual abuse. He noted that abuse hidden within families can remain undetected for years, a challenge common in many countries. Highlighting this, Shanmugam referred to a 2024 case in which a woman received a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence for concealing the prolonged sexual abuse of her younger daughter by her son. The son, eight years older than his sister, was sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison and corporal punishment.
To improve early detection and reporting, the government has implemented various measures aimed at professionals working with children, including those in education and healthcare, providing them with training to identify signs of abuse. Additionally, children are taught about personal safety and how to seek help when needed.
In September, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) launched the Sensemaking Alerts for Frontline Engagement and Response (SAFER) unit. This initiative aims to better identify and prevent child abuse by integrating data from law enforcement and other agencies to identify families with child protection concerns. Shanmugam emphasized that severe penalties exist to deter offenders, including the Sentence for Enhanced Public Protection, introduced in July 2026. Under this regime, offenders convicted of serious violent or sexual offenses against minors, who pose a significant risk of re-offending, may be detained for a court-determined minimum of five to 20 years and potentially longer, depending on assessments of public safety risk.
Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli provided additional details on October 6 about SAFER’s risk algorithm, which collects and analyses data from multiple sources, including the Central Narcotics Bureau, police records, the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline, and preschool attendance data from the Early Childhood Development Agency. The algorithm evaluates factors such as preschool attendance, withdrawals, and incidents where children have been victims of harm, to identify potential child protection concerns.
Flagged cases are reviewed by trained professionals who determine the appropriate response. Masagos explained that the algorithm was developed using government datasets and profiles of actual cases, reflecting patterns observed in real-life situations, rather than adapting existing algorithms. The MSF will continuously monitor and refine the system's performance, balancing the need to identify genuine cases while minimizing false alerts.
Masagos stressed that SAFER is designed to support professional judgment, not replace it, and the ministry will consider incorporating additional datasets where justified by child protection needs, data governance, and proportionality considerations.