Child Abuse Cases Reported by Unrelated Persons and Public Institutions

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Social and Family Development with regard to the increase in newly reported child abuse cases in 2021 as compared to 2020 as published in the Domestic Violence Trends Report 2024 (a) what proportion of such reports have been made by (i) the public unrelated to the abused or perpetrator and (ii) public institutions, such as schools, hospitals or religious institutions; and (b) how is the Ministry tracking the effectiveness of its various campaigns to raise awareness of domestic violence and the reporting of child abuse.

The number of calls made to the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) has seen a steady increase from around 8,400 in 2021 to 11,600 in 2023. This shows greater awareness of the need to report domestic violence cases, including child abuse.

The proportion of child abuse investigations that were initiated arising from reports by the general public increased from 1% in 2020 to around 2% for the period 2021 to 2023, while the proportion from family members increased from 1% to 2% over the same period. The reports from public institutions, such as schools, hospitals, the Police and other community agencies, accounted for around 95% of cases for the period 2021 to 2023 compared to 98% in 2020.