Criteria for Commencing Police Investigation on Report of Voluntarily Causing Hurt or Advising Victim to File Magistrate's Complaint

21 Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what criteria do Police use to decide whether to investigate a voluntarily causing hurt report or refer the victim to a Magistrate's Complaint; (b) whether these criteria account for repeated assaults by the same perpetrator; and (c) in the last three years, how many such reports resulted in (i) police investigation and (ii) referral to Magistrate's Complaints.

Mr K Shanmugam: Police will initiate investigations into reports of Voluntarily Causing Hurt (VCH) where there is harm to public interest and safety, it involves vulnerable victims or there are other aggravating factors, including whether it is a repeat offence by the perpetrator.

Otherwise, the Police will advise complainants to file a Magistrate's Complaint instead.

Between 2023 to 2025, there were about 14,000 reported cases of VCH each year. Approximately 30% of these cases were investigated. The Police do not track whether an investigation was initiated by the Police or directed by a Magistrate.