Joint US Homeland Security Investigations – Singapore Police Force Child Forensic Interview Regional Workshop 2024 (CFIRW-24) – Speech by Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development

Your Excellency, Jonathan Kaplan,

Ambassador of the US to Singapore,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. A very good morning to everyone.

2. It is my pleasure to join you today for the opening of this training Workshop on Child Forensic Interview, organised by the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

3. Last year, I had the privilege of delivering the opening address alongside Ambassador Kaplan, at the inaugural Regional Forum on Crimes Against Children. That Forum laid the foundation for our collective action in combating child exploitation, and it is truly heartening to see the momentum continue with this Workshop.

US-Singapore Cooperation

4. The cooperation between Singapore and the U.S. in matters of security is long-standing and has strengthened over the years. Our collaboration includes initiatives such as the annual US-Singapore Law Enforcement and Homeland Security and Safety Cooperation Dialogue, a platform for senior officials to exchange views and best practices on emerging security challenges since 2014. Our agencies also work closely together on emerging security challenges, and many areas of mutual interests. Today, we strengthen this partnership through this regional workshop and our shared goal of protecting children from sexual violence.

5. Last year’s forum, attended by over 140 officials from ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste, was a resounding success. Today’s workshop, which focuses on forensic interviewing techniques for children, builds on that and reaffirms our collective commitment to safeguarding children from sexual exploitation and abuse, no matter where these crimes occur.

Singapore’s Efforts in Combating Child Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking

6. Preventing child sexual exploitation and trafficking is a priority of the Singapore Government. While we have been fortunate to keep these crimes under control, this is a relentless task that demands a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach. This morning, I would like to highlight three strategies that together have enabled Singapore to take decisive and effective action, contributing to our low incidence of child sexual exploitation and trafficking. ^[1]

Legislative Levers

7. First and foremost, Singapore has enacted strong laws that allow us to take swift and decisive action against child sexual exploitation and trafficking. Our legal framework includes the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act (PHTA), the Penal Code, the Women’s Charter and the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act.

8. The Prevention of Human Trafficking Act , for example, is our primary legislation against Trafficking-in-Persons (TIP). It not only allows us to prosecute traffickers effectively but also acts as a powerful deterrent by imposing severe penalties on offenders.  Under this Act, first-time offenders can face up to 10 years’ imprisonment. For repeat offenders, the penalties are even more severe, ensuring that those who persist in these crimes face the full weight of justice.

9. As crime evolves, especially advances in technology, so too must our legal framework. The transnational nature of child sexual exploitation, criminal activities and the proliferation of the Internet and social media pose challenges to law enforcement efforts. We amended the Penal Code in 2019 to better tackle technology-facilitated crimes, with particular attention paid to sexual offences.

(a) For instance, we have criminalised the entire spectrum of activities pertaining to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), from production to distribution and possession of such material. These amendments also ensure that Singapore citizens or permanent residents who do such acts overseas cannot escape criminal liability.

(b) We also criminalised certain forms of sexual communication with minors, including online communication. Since online sexual communication can take place across borders, we have made sure that our laws apply to such communications if either the victim or the offender is in Singapore at the time of the communication.

10. We have also strengthened our laws to protect Singapore users from harmful online content. The Online Criminal Harms Act allows the Government to direct any online service to block access to online criminal content and activities, such as the non-consensual distribution of intimate images and the dissemination of child sexual abuse material. In addition, the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act introduced provisions to the Broadcasting Act allows the Government to direct designated social media services to block access to child sexual exploitation and abuse materials.

11. This legal framework empowers us to act swiftly and decisively and has real and tangible impact on protecting our most vulnerable. For example, since the amendments to the Penal Code , the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has investigated approximately 140 cases of child sexual abuse material, involving possession, access, and distribution. These numbers represent lives saved, futures protected, and justice served.

Robust Enforcement Measures

12. Second, our law enforcement officers are at the forefront of identifying and protecting victims, particularly children. The SPF has enhanced its processes to better equip officers in responding to sexual crime, especially to sexual crime offences; to ensure that there is a greater victim-centricity. To give some examples:

(a) SPF uses forensic software to process, sort, and analyse large volumes of images and videos which may contain child sexual abuse content, improving its ability to detect and arrest perpetrators.

(b) To provide greater support to victims, SPF has designated and specially trained officers who interview and support victims of sexual offences. New officers are trained on the importance of victim support throughout investigations, ensuring that this focus is ingrained from the start of their careers.

(c) SPF also introduced the One-Stop Centre Multi-Disciplinary Interview model . This approach integrates separate interviews and forensic examinations by investigating officers, child protection officers, and doctors into a single, streamlined interview led by the police. This minimises the need for children and victims to repeatedly recount their trauma to different people, and reduce the risk of further harm during the investigative process.

13. Another initiative is our Victim Care Cadre Programme (VCCP) , which provides psychological first aid and crisis intervention for individuals affected by crimes. VCCP assists victims of crime as a means of supporting investigations as well as their return to normalcy as soon as possible. This includes providing a listening ear and referring victims to appropriate mental health services and social resources to cope better with emotional distress.

International Cooperation

14. Third, we cooperate with international partners to strengthen our capabilities, share crucial intelligence, and coordinate efforts to dismantle networks.

15. Singapore has worked closely with our foreign partners and international organisations to share best practices and develop strategies to better identify victims of child sexual exploitation and trafficking.

(a) Just last year, for example, SPF organised the Artificial Intelligence for Safer Children Regional Workshop in collaboration with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute. Participants from the SPF, the Royal Brunei Police Force, the Central Bureau of Investigation India, the Indonesian National Police and stakeholders from international organisations, non-profit organisations and the private sector discussed how AI systems can help investigators to analyse voluminous data to identify victims of child exploitation and to locate subjects.

(b) We also make extensive use of INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database which, as of June 2024, contains 4.9 million images and videos. This database has been instrumental in identifying over 41,800 victims worldwide. The SPF participates annually in the Victim Identification Task Force convened by INTERPOL. The task force comprises law enforcement officers globally who conduct in-depth analysis of materials in the ICSE database to identify victims and offenders, and direct the materials to the relevant authorities in relevant countries for further investigation.

A Transnational Challenge

16. Ladies and gentlemen, all of us in this room understand that the challenge we face is transnational. Child exploitation and trafficking do not respect national borders. Perpetrators often operate across jurisdictions, taking advantage of disparities in legal systems and enforcement capabilities, and using the anonymity provided by cyberspace to evade justice.

17. However, we have seen first-hand the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation.

(a) Earlier this year, the SPF, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force and the Korean National Police Agency, conducted a successful operation against child sexual exploitation, leading to the arrest of 272 individuals across the three jurisdictions and the seizure of numerous devices containing illegal material. This operation stands as a testament to the strength of international partnerships.

(b) Closer to home, our robust cooperation with U.S. agencies such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Homeland Security Investigations has significantly enhanced our ability to respond to cases involving child sexual exploitation material linked to Singapore.

18. It is clear that we must continue strengthening international cooperation to effectively combat these crimes. Law enforcement agencies in our region need to work closely together to crack down the criminal syndicates that are exploiting children. Equally critical are our legislative frameworks against the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material. We have to ensure thatvictims are protected, and justice is served.

Improving Our Collective Capabilities

19. This workshop is a prime example of how we can strengthen international cooperation through the sharing of best practices to strengthen our collective capability to combat this transnational crime. Our experience tells us that adopting a victim-centred approach protects child victims, fosters trust and minimises trauma during the investigative process. It leads to the collection of reliable evidence and better investigation and prosecution outcomes. Through it, we hope to enhance the capability and capacity for cross-border collaboration between enforcement agencies.

20. Thank you and I wish you all a fruitful and successful workshop.

[1] Since the introduction of the specific offences against child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on 1 Jan 2020, the Singapore Police Force has investigated about 140 CSAM-related cases involving the possession, gaining access and distribution of CSAM. With regards to trafficking, since the enactment of the PHTA from 2015-2022, there have been 9 sex trafficking cases.