Questions:
Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many victim care cadre counsellors are assigned to provide support during an investigation of sexual crime and family violence; (b) how many victims have requested for such support; and (c) what are the (i) mean and (ii) longest waiting times respectively, before victims receive such support.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether he can provide an update on the number of police reports on family violence received in each of the past five years; (b) whether there has been a rise in domestic violence cases; and (c) how do police intend to better protect victims of domestic abuse.
Answer:
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:
1. There were 5,190 police reports on family violence in 2021, a slight increase from 5,134 in 2020. From January to June 2022, the number of police reports on family violence was 2,603. There were 2,638 cases in the same period in 2021. The Police started to track such reports in 2020 to assist the Taskforce on Family Violence to better understand the situation and develop recommendations to tackle family violence.
2. The Police work with social service agencies to support victims. Victims are referred to the nearest Family Service Centre or the Family Violence Specialist Centre if they request for assistance, and to one of the four crisis shelters funded by the Ministry of Social and Family Development if they request for shelter. The Police will also assess the risk of victims encountering further family violence, and refer those assessed to be at higher risk to social service agencies. Where appropriate, the Police will encourage the victim to apply for a Personal Protection Order or an Expedited Order from the courts, to better protect himself or herself from the perpetrator. If the perpetrator breaches such orders, he or she may be arrested by the Police.
3. To provide emotional support to victims throughout the course of investigations, Police can activate volunteers under the Victim Care Cadre Programme (VCCP), with the consent of the victim. As of October 2022, 167 volunteers have been appointed under the VCCP. Since the programme started in 2014, more than 490 victims of sexual crime and family violence have requested for such support. Victim care officers can be activated to attend to the victim on an urgent basis. Alternatively, an appointment can be scheduled based on the victim’s preferred time and date.
