Sexual Assault Cases Handled by OneSafe Centre in Last Three Years and Plans to Review Requirement and Timeframe for Forensic and Medical Examinations
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns data on sexual assault cases at the OneSafe Centre and protocols for forensic medical examinations as raised by Ms Raeesah Khan. Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam stated that the 72-hour examination window follows World Health Organisation recommendations for evidence recovery, though police may order examinations later if evidence remains recoverable. He explained that parental consent is currently required for victims under 21 as they are considered minors and the examinations are highly intrusive. Between 2017 and 2019, 70 examinations occurred at the OneSafe Centre, while others were conducted at hospitals depending on specific circumstances. Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam confirmed that the Ministry of Home Affairs is currently reviewing the minimum age of consent for these forensic examinations.
Transcript
7 Ms Raeesah Khan asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the last three years what is the annual number of sexual assault cases that have been handled by the One-Stop Abuse Forensic Examination Centre (OneSafe Centre) as a percentage of the total number of sexual assault cases handled by the police; and (b) whether there are any plans to review the 72-hour time frame for sexual assault forensic examinations.
8 Ms Raeesah Khan asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the rationale for requiring a parent’s/guardian’s signature for sexual assault victims under the age of 21 years old to undergo the necessary forensic and medical examinations; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider (i) lowering the age threshold to 16, in line with the age of consent for sexual activity or (ii) permitting signatures from prescribed third parties to encourage the reporting of sexual assault offences.
Mr K Shanmugam: Ms Raeesah Khan had asked for information related to sexual assault cases and forensic medical examinations.
Forensic medical examinations of victims are required in cases of rape and sexual assault by penetration - serious sexual crimes. Such examinations are generally conducted for victims whose cases are reported within 72 hours of the assault. Scientifically, the 72-hour time frame is the most effective window to recover forensic evidence, as recommended by the World Health Organisation. For cases beyond 72 hours, Police may order the forensic medical examinations to be conducted if there is reason to believe that evidence can still be recovered through the examination.
From 2017 to 2019, there were 70 such examinations at the OneSAFE Centre. Victims of serious sexual crimes have also been examined at hospitals. Sometimes, examinations might not be conducted because of the facts and circumstances, for example, if the offence is dated and forensic evidence cannot be recovered.
The victim's consent is required before conducting a forensic medical examination because such examinations are highly intrusive. As victims under 21 years old are considered minors under common law, in such cases, Police and the public healthcare institutions will seek consent from both the victim and the victim’s parent or guardian.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been reviewing the minimum age of consent to these examinations, among other issues.