Singapore open to considering chemical castration for sex offenders if proven effective: Shanmugam

The evidence on whether chemical castration is effective in bringing down crime rates is so far "not conclusive", said Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.

Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam in parliament on Apr 7, 2026.

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SINGAPORE: Singapore remains open to considering chemical castration as a measure to tackle sex crimes if there is clear evidence that it is effective in reducing crime, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Tuesday (Sep 8).

However, the evidence so far is inconclusive, he said in a written parliamentary reply.

"We remain open to considering measures including pharmacological anti-androgen treatments, also known as chemical castrations, if it is clear that such measures are effective in bringing down crime rates. So far, the evidence is not conclusive on that," said Mr Shanmugam.

Mr Shanmugam, who is also the Coordinating Minister for National Security, was responding to a question from MP Gerald Giam (WP-Aljunied) on whether the Ministry of Home Affairs had evaluated such treatments or a sex offender register as additional measures to deter crime and reduce reoffending.

Mr Giam also asked whether statutory penalties for major sexual offences against children and young people would be reviewed in light of recent increases in reported cases.

In response, Mr Shanmugam said that the government takes a serious view of sexual crimes and imposes stiff penalties, particularly when the victims are minors.

Rape, or penetrative sexual assault, involving a minor under the age of 14 without consent carries a mandatory jail term of at least eight years and up to 20 years, with minimum 12 strokes of the cane.

Outrage of modesty against a minor under the age of 14 is punishable with up to five years’ jail, fine and caning.

If the minor is hurt or restrained during the offence, the offender faces a mandatory minimum jail term of three years, which may extend up to 10 years, and mandatory caning.

"These are heavy penalties, which send a strong signal to deter such offences," he said.

Mr Shanmugam also pointed to legislative amendments over the years, including the Sentence for Enhanced Public Protection (SEPP), which commenced on Jul 31, 2026.

Under the SEPP, offenders who have committed serious violent or sexual offences and who pose a substantial risk of reoffending will be detained for a minimum term of between five and 20 years, as determined by the court, and will only be released if the Minister for Home Affairs assess that person no longer poses a threat to the public.

SEX OFFENDER REGISTER

Responding directly to Mr Giam’s question of a sex offender register, Mr Shanmugam said that the police already maintain a non-public record of people convicted of serious offences, including sexual offences.

The records are shared with selected agencies, including the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education, when screening people who apply for roles involving sustained contact with children and young people.

“This approach balances the need to safeguard our children and the rehabilitation and reintegration efforts of ex-offenders,” Mr Shanmugam said.

He added that the government has been considering expanding such screening to cover more types of roles involving contact with children and young people.

This includes considering whether voluntary screening could be introduced for unregulated sectors, Mr Shanmugam said, adding that the government will share more details when ready.

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内政部长尚穆根表示，目前尚无确凿证据表明化学阉割是否能有效降低犯罪率。

国家安全统筹部长尚穆根于2026年4月7日在国会发表讲话。

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：内政部长尚穆根周二（9月8日）表示，如果确凿证据表明化学阉割能有效减少犯罪，新加坡仍然愿意考虑将其作为打击性犯罪的措施。

但他在提交给议会的书面答复中表示，目前的证据尚无定论。

“如果能明确证明药物抗雄激素治疗（也称化学阉割）能有效降低犯罪率，我们仍然愿意考虑采取这些措施。但到目前为止，这方面的证据尚不充分。”尚穆根先生说。

尚穆根先生同时也是国家安全统筹部长，他是在回答议员严燕松（工人党-阿裕尼）提出的问题时做出上述表态的。严燕松议员询问内政部是否评估过此类治疗或性犯罪者登记制度作为遏制犯罪和减少再犯的额外措施。

严先生还询问，鉴于近期报告的案件数量增加，是否会审查针对儿童和青少年的重大性犯罪的法定处罚。

对此，尚穆根先生表示，政府严肃对待性犯罪，并会处以严厉的惩罚，尤其是在受害者是未成年人的情况下。

对未满 14 周岁的未成年人实施强奸或性侵犯，且未经同意，将被判处至少 8 年、至多 20 年的强制监禁，并处以至少 12 下鞭刑。

对 14 岁以下未成年人进行猥亵行为，最高可判处五年监禁、罚款和鞭刑。

如果未成年人在犯罪过程中受到伤害或被限制行动，犯罪者将面临至少三年的强制性监禁，最高可达十年，并处以强制性鞭刑。

他说：“这些都是严厉的处罚，旨在发出强烈的信号，震慑此类违法行为。”

尚穆根先生还指出，多年来的立法修正案包括《加强公共保护刑罚法》（SEPP），该法于 2026 年 7 月 31 日生效。

根据《严重暴力或性犯罪预防计划》，犯有严重暴力或性犯罪且有再次犯罪重大风险的罪犯将被拘留至少 5 至 20 年，具体刑期由法院决定，只有当内政部长评估该人不再对公众构成威胁时，才会将其释放。

性犯罪者登记册

针对严先生提出的关于性犯罪者登记册的问题，尚穆根先生直接回应说，警方已经保存了一份非公开的记录，记录了被判犯有严重罪行（包括性犯罪）的人。

在筛选申请与儿童和青少年持续接触的职位的人员时，这些记录会与选定的机构共享，包括社会和家庭发展部和教育部。

尚穆根先生表示：“这种做法既能保障儿童安全，又能兼顾前罪犯的改造和重返社会工作，从而达到平衡。”

他还补充说，政府一直在考虑扩大此类筛查的范围，以涵盖更多涉及与儿童和青少年接触的岗位类型。

尚穆根先生表示，这其中包括考虑是否可以对不受监管的行业引入自愿筛查，并补充说，政府将在准备就绪后分享更多细节。

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