<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Jan 31, 2009
Crime situation in S'pore
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Underage sex & rape cases up <!--10 min-->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Kimberly Spykerman
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->MORE people were hurt or killed as a result of violent crime last year, in particular, rape.
Overall, there were 4,354 cases involving violence reported, compared to 4,113 in 2007. Crimes that fall under this category include murder, rape, and crimes committed using force.
Rape cases shot up to 109 from 72 in 2007. According to the police, most of the victims were known to their attackers and had been in relationships of one form or another.
There was also a sharp rise in girls below the age of 16 having sex, with 310 cases last year compared to 216 the year before, a trend that the police have cited as 'worrying'.
Statutory rape, which involves those below 14, jumped from 57 cases to 63 last year. Carnal connection, which involves girls below the age of 16 having sex, leapt from 159 to 247 cases.
Top on the police's priority list is curbing the rising number of females engaging in underaged sex.
Clinical psychologist Carol Balhetchet said the trend was 'alarming' and one she had begun to notice as early as 2006.
'Teenagers these days are bolder and want to be seen by their peers as experienced and worldly-wise. They don't realise how great the repercussions of their actions are,' she said.
'Not only will girls have to cope with teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, the boys involved will also have their futures (tainted) by a criminal record.'
Of the 460 minors she counselled last year, more than half have had some form of sexual experience.
Both the police and Dr Balhetchet highlighted that parental intervention was crucial, as most of the perpetrators were either boyfriends or friends of the victims.
Police have also held discussions with teachers from secondary schools and junior colleges about sex-related offences and laws. Discussions have also covered the consequences of underage sex and the use of technology in sexual crimes.
Teachers have been asked to help disseminate these messages to students.
Collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the National Crime Prevention Council and police will also continue.
The aim is to develop new initiatives for intervention with youth in the form of workshops and crime awareness talks.
Murder cases also spiked, from 18 to 26. Of these, 10 cases involved foreigners as the perpetrators. At least 10 of the victims were also foreigners.
Police however, emphasised that the murders were largely isolated incidents and mostly crimes of passion that arose from disputes.
Four of the murders still remain unsolved, including October's high-profile murder at Flanders Square in Little India, when a Malaysian prostitute was stabbed. Read also:
Overall crime down
Crime situation in S'pore
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Underage sex & rape cases up <!--10 min-->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Kimberly Spykerman
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->MORE people were hurt or killed as a result of violent crime last year, in particular, rape.
Overall, there were 4,354 cases involving violence reported, compared to 4,113 in 2007. Crimes that fall under this category include murder, rape, and crimes committed using force.
Rape cases shot up to 109 from 72 in 2007. According to the police, most of the victims were known to their attackers and had been in relationships of one form or another.
There was also a sharp rise in girls below the age of 16 having sex, with 310 cases last year compared to 216 the year before, a trend that the police have cited as 'worrying'.
Statutory rape, which involves those below 14, jumped from 57 cases to 63 last year. Carnal connection, which involves girls below the age of 16 having sex, leapt from 159 to 247 cases.
Top on the police's priority list is curbing the rising number of females engaging in underaged sex.
Clinical psychologist Carol Balhetchet said the trend was 'alarming' and one she had begun to notice as early as 2006.
'Teenagers these days are bolder and want to be seen by their peers as experienced and worldly-wise. They don't realise how great the repercussions of their actions are,' she said.
'Not only will girls have to cope with teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, the boys involved will also have their futures (tainted) by a criminal record.'
Of the 460 minors she counselled last year, more than half have had some form of sexual experience.
Both the police and Dr Balhetchet highlighted that parental intervention was crucial, as most of the perpetrators were either boyfriends or friends of the victims.
Police have also held discussions with teachers from secondary schools and junior colleges about sex-related offences and laws. Discussions have also covered the consequences of underage sex and the use of technology in sexual crimes.
Teachers have been asked to help disseminate these messages to students.
Collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the National Crime Prevention Council and police will also continue.
The aim is to develop new initiatives for intervention with youth in the form of workshops and crime awareness talks.
Murder cases also spiked, from 18 to 26. Of these, 10 cases involved foreigners as the perpetrators. At least 10 of the victims were also foreigners.
Police however, emphasised that the murders were largely isolated incidents and mostly crimes of passion that arose from disputes.
Four of the murders still remain unsolved, including October's high-profile murder at Flanders Square in Little India, when a Malaysian prostitute was stabbed. Read also:
Overall crime down
