What a week!. It laid bare the turmoil that many associated with the case of the under aged girl must have undergone. I am sure their families must have suffered for last 4 months and many will continue to suffer. Promising careers dashed, livelihoods gone, lifestyles changed and friends and acquaintances lost. Maybe shunned forever. Some may not recover.
Here are some thoughts
The Law - 4 years ago, the law in question did not exist and no one who have charged. The law only kicked if it involved a girl who was below 16. Interestingly 2 people had a direct impact on this piece of legislation coming to life - Gerrie Lim and Paul Theroux. The law understand was adopted from Canada. It was part of the drive the bring sexual tourism which became rife in the 1990s with Cambodia, the Philippines and Indonesia taking front and centre. Our local chaps started heading to Bintan and Batam and with cheap flights to Philippines that too became a well worn trail.
I wonder if the Govt when the new law came into force, had conducted sufficient awareness, education and communication so that they would not lost so many good men at one go.
The Pimp - Frankly, they should be put away this guy for a long, long time.
The Girl - Not sure why and how she ended up in the trade. Not sure if are talking about LV, Iphone and clubbing or to make ends meet. But we should be not encouraging this sort of activities at this age. You can never close down the trade but you can protect the vulnerable.
Hotel 81 - this is the part that I can never understand. This is where the PAP has to understand they are culpable just as the pimp is. Anyone including a moron knows that Hotel 81 and Fragrance Hotel exist and succeed for one purpose - the sex trade. It is transit hotel. I thought it was bit rich and quite suspicious that in the same week that the 48 men were charged, the owner of Hotel 81 decides to donate $2M to NTU. When the PAP were in power in the early years it was common for corporate biggies caught for tax evasion and other transgression of minor laws were asked to donate a sizable sum. It was not corruption but it was done to keep the vulnerable economy going.
Here are some thoughts
The Law - 4 years ago, the law in question did not exist and no one who have charged. The law only kicked if it involved a girl who was below 16. Interestingly 2 people had a direct impact on this piece of legislation coming to life - Gerrie Lim and Paul Theroux. The law understand was adopted from Canada. It was part of the drive the bring sexual tourism which became rife in the 1990s with Cambodia, the Philippines and Indonesia taking front and centre. Our local chaps started heading to Bintan and Batam and with cheap flights to Philippines that too became a well worn trail.
I wonder if the Govt when the new law came into force, had conducted sufficient awareness, education and communication so that they would not lost so many good men at one go.
The Pimp - Frankly, they should be put away this guy for a long, long time.
The Girl - Not sure why and how she ended up in the trade. Not sure if are talking about LV, Iphone and clubbing or to make ends meet. But we should be not encouraging this sort of activities at this age. You can never close down the trade but you can protect the vulnerable.
Hotel 81 - this is the part that I can never understand. This is where the PAP has to understand they are culpable just as the pimp is. Anyone including a moron knows that Hotel 81 and Fragrance Hotel exist and succeed for one purpose - the sex trade. It is transit hotel. I thought it was bit rich and quite suspicious that in the same week that the 48 men were charged, the owner of Hotel 81 decides to donate $2M to NTU. When the PAP were in power in the early years it was common for corporate biggies caught for tax evasion and other transgression of minor laws were asked to donate a sizable sum. It was not corruption but it was done to keep the vulnerable economy going.
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