Data on Victim and Perpetrator Profiles in Rape and Molest Cases
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the rise in sexual offences in 2025, with Ms Gho Sze Kee inquiring about the prevalence of known offenders and environment-specific interventions. Minister of State Goh Pei Ming noted that rape cases rose to 479 and outrage of modesty cases to 1,531, with stable proportions of offenders known to victims. Approximately 33% of incidents occurred in residential premises, 18% in commercial areas, and 3% in educational institutions. The government utilizes student education on reporting, specialist centres for family violence, and police victim care services to combat these crimes. These targeted measures aim to improve victim support and encourage reporting across all domestic, commercial, and educational environments.
Transcript
7 Ms Gho Sze Kee asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs given that more than half of rape and molestation cases involve offenders known to victims (a) whether the increase in such crimes in 2025 was primarily driven by this category of offenders; (b) what are the contextual breakdown of the cases such as, in domestic, workplace, or educational settings; and (c) whether targeted interventions are being strengthened in these environments.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Mr Goh Pei Ming) (for the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs): From 2024 to 2025, there was an increase of 104 cases of outrage of modesty, from 1,427 to 1,531 cases; and an increase of 78 cases of rape, from 401 to 479 cases. The majority of the rape cases and more than half of the outrage of modesty cases involved offenders known to the victims. The proportions of rape and outrage of modesty cases involving offenders known to the victims has remained stable over the last five years.
In 2025, of the total number of rape and outrage of modesty cases, approximately 33% took place in residential premises, 18% took place in commercial premises and 3% took place in educational institutions.
The Government takes a firm stance against all forms of sexual offending and Ministries have implemented a suite of measures to prevent offending, encourage reporting and improve victim support, regardless of where the offence occurs.
For example, in educational settings, students are taught to report their concerns and to seek help from trusted adults. In domestic settings, specialist agencies, such as the Protection Specialist Centres and Child Protection Specialist Centres, provide social and emotional support for victims of intra- and extra-familial violence, including sexual violence. The Police, on their part, also provide victim care services when investigating sexual offences.