Petition Calling For Stricter Sexual Offense Laws Gets Over 30,000 Signatures
Sexual offenses are making the news a lot recently, and one particularly shocking case of several men raping each others’ wives is fueling claims that Singapore needs to take an ever harsher stance against them.
This led to a netizen creating a petition on change.org, asking to remand the men instead of giving them bail as well as have stricter sentences.
The petition, titled “Revoke Rape Case Bail & SG Gov to Implement STRICTER Laws on ALL Sexual Crimes”, has gained over 30,000 signatures and counting.
Petition creator questions why men were allowed out on bail
The creator of the petition quotes a line made by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Amrin Amin, as he says that the laws against sexual offenses apply to all.
He was speaking in response to cases like Terence Siow’s, who was initially given probation for molesting somebody at an MRT station.
Mr Amrin explained that each case is different and there could be specific circumstances behind why a certain punishment is given.
In the specific case referred to by the creator, the 7 men were offered bail amounts of between S$100,000 and $200,000.
The creator then wonders what could be a good reason for the men being let out on bail if they’re on trial for rape.
The petition also argues that prevention using harsher sentences is needed so that there won’t be more victims.
Bail rationale explained
Singapore Legal Advice, which dispenses legal advice for people online, posted on Instagram on 5 Jun regarding the men’s cases, explaining that being offered bail doesn’t mean the men will be released.
They’ll first have to pay the amount, which is dependent on a number of factors such as the nature and severity of the crime. As it stands, the bail amounts range from $100,000-$200,000, which is pretty steep.
In this case, the court has also prohibited the accused and their victims to act as bailors.
This may mean that the men won’t be released. The accused may also be recalled if there are new facts surrounding the case.
Aim is to get topic debated in Parliament
The petition creator stresses that women may end up living in fear if such cases are not dealt with more severely — doubly so if people accused of rape are allowed to seek bail.
The aim of the petition is to get the topic discussed in Parliament, and to do that, MPs have to be informed so they can broach the topic.
Clearly, there’s some concern over sexual crimes in Singapore and whether the current laws are adequate in preventing them. We hope that the issue can at least be discussed and if so, that the situation may improve.
Featured image adapted from Change.org and Google Maps.
