Updated: 02/17/2014 23:21 | By Channel NewsAsia
10,000 reported cases of voluntarily causing hurt between 2011 and 2013
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XFs8fzimWFE?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>
SINGAPORE: About 10,000 reported cases of voluntarily causing hurt were lodged between 2011 and 2013 in Singapore.
This works out to about 200 cases per 100,000 population each year.
Over the same period, there were more than 600 criminal charges filed each year against persons accused of voluntarily causing hurt.
These figures were revealed by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the Minister for Home Affairs, in response to a question by Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC Sylvia Lim.
Voluntarily causing hurt cases can range from a slap during a family dispute to road bullying.
Mr Teo said that most of these cases were resolved by the parties themselves or after mediation by a magistrate.
In cases where there is clear harm to public interest or where vulnerable victims are involved, the magistrate or the public prosecutor can grant the police powers of investigation under the Criminal Procedure Code to investigate the matter with a view to prosecution in court.
The number of magistrate's complaints lodged in relation to cases of voluntarily causing hurt has gone up.
Law Minister K Shanmugam said that last year, 943 complaints were lodged, up from 880 in 2012 and 513 in 2011. - CNA/al
