By: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports
At 3:00 am at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Excellencies
Ladies and gentlemen
Introduction
I am extremely pleased to reaffirm Singapore's commitment to preventing sexual exploitation of children. Singapore shares the goals of all countries represented here at this World Congress to stop this crime against our most vulnerable members of our society.
Singapore has focussed on developing child-friendly and robust systems of detection, rehabilitation and reintegration for children affected by sexual exploitation.
Setting the Context
Let me start out by giving you a picture of Singapore and its people. Singapore is a small island city-state in South East Asia. With a population of about 4.8 million on some 700 square kilometres of land, we are one of the most densely populated countries in the world. We are a plural and increasingly diverse society, a nation of many races, many languages and many religions. Our diversity and social stability make us an ideal destination for work, for play, for school or for people to simply call home.
In a country with no natural resources, our people are our key resource; our children are our future. Our children represent new possibilities, new hopes, and optimism. To that end, Singapore has worked to ensure that children are well protected and nurtured, and that their rights as individuals are recognised, in accordance with our commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Singapore has been a party to since 1995. It is within this context that Singapore's efforts against the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents are framed.
Framework for prevention and management of sexual exploitation
Singapore's framework for the prevention and management of sexual exploitation is premised on the principles of strong legislation, close interagency collaboration, active community involvement and international cooperation. These are closely aligned to the sub-themes of this Congress, namely: monitoring trends and emerging forms of sexual exploitation; ensuring a sound legal framework and accountability; facilitating integrated cross sector policies; promoting social responsibility; and supporting strategies for international cooperation.
I intend to focus my statement today on Singapore's experience in ensuring a sound legal framework and legal accountability, because it is a key pillar of our overall framework for the management of sexual exploitation. It is a framework that encompasses not only our laws, but systems and structures to support effective enforcement, protection and rehabilitation for victims and perpetrators.
Legislative protection for children
The Children and Young Persons Act remains the key piece of legislation that protects children and young persons. Amongst various provisions, Sections 7 and 11 of the Act specifically criminalise sexual exploitation of children and young persons, including trafficking and unlawful custody, and impose restrictions on children and young persons taking part in any form of public entertainment of an immoral nature. The Act also confers on the Director of Social Welfare the role of protector of the child, as well as the statutory power to remove a child or young person to a place of safety for his or her protection and welfare.
The Women's Charter and the Penal Code also have provisions to deal with offences relating to prostitution and trafficking of women and children. In keeping with Singapore's stance to enhance the protection of young persons against exploitation for commercial sex in Singapore and in other countries, legislative amendments to the Penal Code were put in place early this year making it an offence: (i) for a person to obtain for consideration sexual services from another person under 18 years of age; (ii) for a Singapore Citizen or Permanent to obtain such services overseas; (iii) for a person to make or organise child sex tours or print, publish or distribute any information that is intended to promote commercial sex with minors under 18 outside Singapore; and (iv) for a person to communicate, meet or travel to meet a child with an intent to commit sexual crimes.
Strict penalties are imposed for offences under these provisions. Repeat offenders under Section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act face fines of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment of up to 4 years, or both. Offenders charged under the Women's Charter and Penal Code face similarly harsh penalties. Under Sections 372, 373 and 373A of the Penal Code, which criminalise the selling and buying of minors for the purpose of prostitution, offenders may be liable to imprisonment of up to 10 years and/or fine. Under Section 376B of the Penal Code, persons who engage in commercial sex with minors under 18 are liable to imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both. This provision has extra-territorial effect, that is - the same penalties apply in situations where Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents commit the same offence overseas. In the latest amendments to the Penal Code, we have also introduced penalties against sexual grooming, where a person meets and communicates with a minor with the intention of sexually exploiting the minor following the establishment of a relationship. A person guilty of this offence is liable to imprisonment of up to 3 years, or to a fine, or to both.
The comprehensive legislative provisions and harsh penalties serve two very fundamental objectives: One, they allow us to act against the perpetrators, sending a strong signal of deterrence to anyone considering such an act. Two, and perhaps more importantly, they send a clear message of assurance to victims - that the Singapore government is committed to protecting them, and supporting them with access to protective services and their rehabilitation and recovery.
Comprehensive support systems
The strength of any piece of legislation lies in the ability of implementing agencies to carry out its intended objectives. To that end, the Singapore government has ensured that the comprehensive systems are in the place to operationalise our laws. At our borders, officers in the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) overseeing border security are trained in profiling techniques designed to equip them with the skills to conduct profiling of persons, goods and cargo. Suspicious persons, such as potential sex workers and possible victims of human trafficking, will be referred for secondary examination.
In the area of investigation and intervention, the Singapore Police Force has specialised units, including the Serious Sexual Crime Branch, which utilise the skills of trained officers to investigate particular sex crimes. These officers are also trained on interview technique to ensure that victims' rights are accounted for in the course of the interview and throughout the intervention process.
In the area of social support, which often surfaces as an area of need for victims, my Ministry works through the National Family Violence Networking System, which we co-chair with the Singapore Police Force, to ensure that clear guidelines are in place to protect the child's interests and welfare. In intervention, an Inter-Ministry Work Group on the Management of Child Abuse and professionals on the ground dealing with child protection issues are guided by the National Standards for the Protection of Children which sets out the standards and roles for all agencies concerned in the management of child protection. The roles of Child Protection Officers, Law Enforcement Officers, Court and Judicial Officer, Community agencies, Schools and Hospitals are detailed in these standards.
The help that we extend to each victim would vary, depending on the needs of each child. They may include counselling, translation services and temporary care arrangements, amongst others. These services and programmes are provided by government and non-government agencies. We believe that this formula of strong legislation and comprehensive support systems is key to ensuring that our children remain protected from sexual exploitation.
Conclusion
Singapore has made strides to better protect children against sexual exploitation. We recognise that we can and should do more and do better in each area. In the best interests of our children and youth, Singapore is committed to creating a world fit for them to live and grow in. The ties that we have forged through this Congress will provide us with new opportunities to learn from each other as we address the challenges and opportunities ahead in creating a safe and secure world fit for all our children.
MCYS SPEECH NO: 67/2008
DATE OF ISSUE: 27/11/2008