Causes for an Over 20% Increase in Outrage of Modesty Cases in the First Half of 2025

Question:

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what factors has the Ministry identified as causes for an over 20% year-on-year increase in the number of outrage of modesty cases in the first half of 2025; (b) what longer-term trends of voyeurism has the Ministry identified; and (c) whether the Ministry will be taking steps to enhance protection of women and minors against such crimes.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:

1.  In the first half of 2025, there was a 21.2% increase in outrage of modesty (OM) cases and a 2.3% decrease in voyeurism cases compared to the same period last year. More than half of the OM cases involved offenders known to the victims. For OM cases involving offenders not known to the victims, the top location of concern is the public transport network. More details are available in the Police’s Mid-Year Crime Brief 2025.

2. We have worked with partners on a range of initiatives to prevent sexual offending. For example, school and community counsellors are trained to identify youths exhibiting inappropriate sexual behaviours and to intervene early. The Police have also been working with public transport operators to provide crime advisories in our public transport network.

3. Vigilance by members of the public is crucial to tackling OM and voyeurism. Anyone who detects suspicious behaviours should report them immediately to the premises’ staff or the Police. Specific to the public transport network, we have the “Riders-on-Watch” interest group, under which more than 14,000 commuters serve as “eyes and ears” on the ground during their daily commute. We encourage more members of the public to come forward to join this group and partner the Police in preventing, detecting and deterring such crimes.