KUALA LUMPUR & TAIPING, Mar 10, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Spritzer ("Spritzer" or the "Company") is aiding flood victims in Terengganu by ensuring that they have access to clean water for drinking purposes following flooding across the state after continuous rain.Due to the continuous heavy rain in Peninsular Malaysia, it has been reported that flooding has occurred in all eight districts in Terengganu affecting more than 17,000 people at 87 relief centres.The Company has arranged, with the help of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, to send Spritzer Natural Mineral Water to a centralised aid centre for flood victims located at the Hulu Terengganu Member of Parliament's office, as part of efforts to alleviate their suffering. Continuous rains across the state have affected thousands, who are being housed at relief centres.Spritzer urges everyone to be careful of contamination from the flood waters and avoid all unknown sources of water. People are encouraged to boil water from taps used for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth. Do not use discoloured water or water that have an odour and avoid contact with contaminated water on skin and eyes. Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
SINGAPORE - 35 men and four women, aged between 16 and 65, have been arrested for suspected involvement in job scams and phishing scams involving Singapore Bicentennial commemorative notes, the police said on Sunday (Nov 28). This was after an islandwide police operation from Nov 22 to 26 that saw a total of 113 individuals investigated for their involvement in over 900 jobs scams and fishing scams that led to more than $20 million in losses. Investigations against the other 74 individuals are ongoing. The police said that victims had allegedly sold their bank accounts or relinquished their Singpass credentials to criminal syndicates. They were promised as much as $5,000 for each bank account sold and/or $400 for each set of Singpass credentials sold. However, most of them did not receive the promised fees. Some were also found to have allegedly rented out their bank accounts to scammers or assisted them in carrying out bank transfers and withdrawals. "We would like to caution job seekers to be wary of job advertisements that promise the convenience of working from home and an unreasonably high salary for relatively easy job responsibilities," said the police. It added that in job scams, victims would chance upon job advertisements offering quick cash on social media platforms and chat applications. The job would require victims to order items from online platforms to improve its sales volume. They would then be made to pay for the items via funds transfer to various bank accounts. At the initial stage, victims would receive a payment on top of a well-paid commission. However, when the scam progressed to a point where victims had spent large sums on their orders, their job contact would become uncontactable. In phishing scams involving Singapore Bicentennial commemorative notes, victims would receive text messages from scammers informing them of their eligibility to receive free Singapore Bicentennial commemorative notes and would be directed to allegedly spoofed URL links. When victims clicked the link, they would be redirected to fraudulent websites resembling the homepage of a purported bank's internet banking website and would then be tricked into providing their internet banking credentials. The police said that victims had allegedly sold their bank accounts or relinquished their Singpass credentials to criminal syndicates. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE Victims would only realise they had been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transfers of monies out of their bank accounts. "To avoid becoming involved in money laundering activities, members of the public should always reject request of using their personal bank accounts to receive and transfer money for others," said the police. More on this topic Related Story 296 people nabbed for alleged involvement in over 1,000 scams, victims lost over $6.4m The offence of cheating carries an imprisonment term of up to three years and a fine. Those who are found guilty of money laundering may be jailed up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000, or both. The offence of facilitating unauthorised access to computer material carries an imprisonment term not exceeding two years, a fine, or both for first-time offenders. Those who carry out an unlicensed business of providing payment service may be jailed up to three years and fined up to $125,000, or both. More on this topic Related Story S'pore and Malaysia police cripple two job scam syndicates that cheated over 390 of $5m
SINGAPORE - In the sleepless hours after she had been raped by a man she once thought she would marry, Bella (not her real name), felt lost. The 23-year-old was alone at home as her parents were away. She could hardly face the thought of making a police report. Speaking to The Straits Times about the assault by her former fiance on June 15, 2019, she said: "It's hard to say, but it felt like it was the end. I couldn't think or sleep. I just laid down and cried. I never expected him to do that." Bella was hesitant about going to the cops not only because she was afraid to tell her parents what had happened, but also because the process seemed so daunting. A friend who went to her home the next morning eventually convinced her to do so and accompanied her to the police post. In February this year, the man was sentenced to eight years' jail and given six strokes of the cane. Bella said being interviewed, undergoing a medical examination and the court processes that followed were made easier because her investigating officer (IO) reassured her and kept her updated whenever she asked questions. He even offered to be there when she told her parents, but Bella did it on her own. Referring to her attacker, Bella said: "When he was arrested, I sometimes asked myself if reporting him was the wrong decision because he is young and his family relied on him financially. When I had those thoughts, I would tell my IO and he would tell me, 'you did the right thing'." And after she had read the statements by the accused about how he had raped her to get her pregnant, she realised she should not have felt bad for him. Since he pleaded guilty, Bella did not have to go to court. Her IO told her about the outcome, which brought her a huge sense of relief. "Other women need to know it's OK to report. Because if they don't, the guy could do the same to other people. It's also for (the victim's) own safety too because he could return and do it again," she said. Her case is one of the hundreds of rape cases that are reported to the Serious Sexual Crime Branch (SSCB) of the Criminal Investigation Department every year. And the numbers are increasing. In 2018, SSCB handled 213 rape cases. There were 281 cases in 2019, and 348 last year. In most of them, the men accused were known to the victims. The Association of Women for Action and Research's (Aware) Sexual Assault Care Centre has seen a fairly constant number of rape and sexual assault by penetration cases over the past three years. There were 266 in 2018, 270 in 2019 and 258 last year. Yet, Aware's head of research and advocacy, Ms Shailey Hingorani, said that among the centre's clients, who include survivors of other forms of sexual assault, seven in 10 choose not to file an official report. She said: "The reports received by the police are likely only a small fraction of the true incidence of sexual violence in Singapore." The issue of how survivors of rape are treated when they make reports surfaced in Parliament last month. Workers' Party MP Raeesah Khan had said she had accompanied a rape survivor to make a police report three years ago, but the 25-year-old woman came out of the police station crying after the police officer allegedly commented on her dressing and the fact that she was drinking. Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Tan responded that allegations of the police mishandling a sexual assault case are serious and need to be investigated. Ms Raeesah then said she did not wish to re-traumatise the victim and the intention of her speech was not to cast aspersions on the police. She said: "The police is part of the solution, not the problem." More on this topic Related Story MPs call for protection of those falsely accused of sexual crimes Related Story More must be done to prevent violence against women: PM Lee Yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said a White Paper with concrete proposals to tackle issues concerning women will be presented in Parliament early next year. On violence against women, he said: "Victims must be able to seek help easily, and without suffering additional distress. More importantly, victims must not have cause to fear that they themselves will be blamed or shamed for what has happened to them, and therefore suffer in silence." All rape cases here are handled by SSCB IOs who undergo specialised training to learn how to strike a balance between sensitivity towards the victim's emotional trauma and their fact-finding goals. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kimberly Ang, an officer-in-charge of a team in the SSCB, told ST: "Whatever facts we need to know from them (victims) is to help in the investigation. It's not because we want to judge them in any way. The only way for us to do that is to build some kind of rapport (and) trust from the beginning so they feel safe." Victims are also offered a victim care officer (VCO) for practical and emotional support throughout the investigation and criminal justice process. There are currently 113 VCOs - volunteers who have backgrounds in psychology, counselling, or social work, and who are selected and trained by the Police Psychological Services Department. Ms Poh Hui Ping, a senior VCO who was part of the first batch appointed in 2014, said: "Most importantly, we must ensure they know we are willing to listen, and they are not alone." Police psychologist Tiffany Nicole Danker said regular police officers also go through a module on sensitivity training in their basic courses. It covers theory on victims and trauma, active listening skills and a safety-emotion-information model to organise a victim's needs. Ms Danker said SSCB IOs ask questions that may make it seem that they do not believe the victims. But they need to ask these questions to get the information to build the case. She added: "It's about how they can go about it in a way that is more empathetic and more supportive." More on this topic Related Story Why knowing sexual history and what victim wore could help police in rape investigations Related Story Building rapport with victims key to solving sex crimes, says police officer On the increasing rape cases, some observers said this could be due to more women coming forward to report the assaults. Invictus Law Corporation associate director Cory Wong said the numbers may include attacks not reported until years later. He said: "We have had cases of delayed reporting (in which) victims were violated as a child and only later reported it as an adult." Mr Sunil Sudheesan, president of the Association of Criminal Lawyers of Singapore, told ST: "If wrongs have been done, victims should seek advice and lodge reports. Victims should not bury things. I sense a continued uptrend of police reports when sex has objectively taken place. The issue then is evaluating whether there was legitimate consent or not." Consent becomes more contentious when alcohol is involved, noted Quahe Woo & Palmer associate director Diana Ngiam. She said: "The courts have been looking objectively at whether the complainant is in a position to give consent." She added that under the Penal Code, one cannot give proper consent if one is intoxicated to the extent that one is unable to understand the nature and consequences of one's purported consent. Aside from legislative measures and efforts by the authorities, more can be done to tackle the issue of rape and encourage victims to come forward, say observers. Head lawyer Gloria James of law firm Gloria James-Civetta & Co said: "More attention can be (paid to) counselling victims and rehabilitating perpetrators... No amount of new legislation is going to be fully effective unless men and women are better educated on how to respectfully treat one another." More on this topic Related Story About 40% of sexual assault cases from 2017 to 2019 involved victims below 16 Related Story Why it's hard for sexual assault victims to come forward About the case After Bella (not her real name) broke up with her fiance in May 2019, he would not leave her alone. She rejected his attempts at reconciliation. About a month later, the man, then 20, went into her unlocked home, knowing she was alone, and raped her. On Feb 22 this year, he was sentenced to eight years' jail and given six strokes of the cane. Deputy public prosecutors James Chew and Grace Teo urged the court to impose 10 years' jail and six strokes of the cane. They said: "A person's home is their sanctuary. A woman has a sacrosanct right to her bodily integrity. This case involves a flagrant and deplorable breach of both these inviolable principles." On June 15, 2019, Bella went out at around 6pm to buy groceries and was approached by the accused at her void deck. He insisted on accompanying her to the mall. Later, they argued about their relationship, and Bella told him not to follow her home. The pair continued to argue over WhatsApp. At around 9pm, she sent him a message saying, "im sick dont disturb me alr. Let me move on". His reply was to ask her to open the door. He knew her parents had a habit of going to Johor Baru on weekends and were not home. She was in her bedroom when she heard someone opening the door to the flat that she had left unlocked. The accused then entered her room. They went to the living room where they argued again. Bella asked him to leave but he threatened to impregnate her so she would have to rekindle their relationship. As she stood up and told him to go, he grabbed her right arm and pulled her into her bedroom where he raped her. Afterwards, she went crying to the toilet to wash up. He told her not to cry, and said he would help her get an abortion. He then left. At around midnight, Bella sent him a message saying she wanted to commit suicide. She also sent him a video of her holding a knife pointed at herself. The next day, she told a friend, who convinced her to file a police report. She did not get pregnant. More on this topic Related Story Many cases of child sexual abuse by family members stay buried for years Related Story Why one woman did not dare to tell her mum about grandpa's sexual attacks Helplines Big Love Child Protection Specialist Centre: 6445-0400, contact@biglove.org.sg (weekdays 9am to 6pm) National Anti-Violence Helpline: 1800-777-0000 (24 hours) Aware's Sexual Assault Care Centre: 6779-0282 (weekdays 10am to 6pm) Tinkle Friend (for children): 1800-274-4788 (weekdays 2.30pm to 5.00pm), Online chat (Mon to Thurs 2.30pm to 7.00pm; Fri 2.30pm - 5.00pm)
KUALA LUMPUR, Sep 9, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Spritzer Malaysia ("Spritzer" or the "Company"), which produces Malaysia's best-selling natural mineral water, is again bringing aid by sending bottle water to victims of the flash floods in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia who are in need of safe and clean drinking water sources following the recent heavy downpour.The Company has sent more than 30,000 bottles of Spritzer Natural Mineral Water to flood victims in Gurun and Yan in Kedah and Alor Pongsu in Perak whose homes were affected by the floodwaters, with a number of residents in all these areas having been evacuated to relief centres.Spritzer has been donating aid to flood victims and rescue crews, especially those in flash floods affected areas, where victims may not have access to drinking water which is important for hydration and ensuring hygiene at all times.Spritzer draws its silicon-rich mineral water sources from an environmentally safe and substantiable facility in Taiping, Perak surrounded by a tropical rainforest that is more than 200-million-year-old. Silicon-rich mineral water has also been found to be beneficial to health, which helps reduce or eliminate aluminium toxins found in bodies.For more information, please contact:Muhammad Hakimh.juraimi@swanconsultancy.biz Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
SINGAPORE - Scam victims lost $168 million to conmen in the top 10 scam categories in the first six months of this year, a sharp spike from $63.5 million in the same period last year. This comes on the back of a 16 per cent rise in the number of reported scam cases and a 11.2 per cent hike in overall crime, according to mid-year statistics released by the police on Monday (Aug 30). A total of 19,444 cases were reported between January and June this year, up from 17,492 in the same period last year. Scam cases climbed from 7,247 to 8,403. "Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics and have been taking advantage of the Covid-19 situation to prey on victims' heightened vulnerability and sense of uncertainty," said the police. In particular, loan scams had the highest number of reported cases among scam types, with $10.6 million cheated, compared with $5.6 million last year. The victims were mostly duped into providing personal information to supposed licensed moneylenders or banks. The scammers would ask them to pay a small percentage of the loan amount as administrative fees and become uncontactable after payment is made. E-commerce scams had the second highest number of reported cases, and the total amount lost by victims decreased from $5.4 million to $2.4 million. The police said the common items involved were electronic and gaming-related items. Job and investment scams have also surged significantly. Victims of job scams lost $6.5 million, a vast leap from $60,000 last year. Most of these cases involve victims being duped via advertisements on social media platforms - such as TikTok - or unsolicited WhatsApp messages from unknown numbers, which offered a part-time job with a daily salary of between $300 and $500. More on this topic Related Story More than 360 scams exposed by police; 81 people probed Related Story Record number of scams in 2020 pushed overall crime rate in S'pore to highest in more than 10 years The victims were told that they had to help e-commerce merchants improve their sales by buying items in advance, and would get refunds and commission fees later. This process of buying and refunding would be repeated several times, starting with low-cost items before moving to pricier ones. The scammers would pay the victims initially, but later claim to have encountered issues with the refunds before becoming uncontactable. "In some cases, victims were also instructed to complete a certain number of transactions within a given time frame in order to receive the payouts," said the police. Investment scam victims lost $66.2 million - more than triple the $21.6 million in the same period last year. In most cases, the scammers would claim to be financial professionals and entice victims to invest via websites or apps. The victims would be asked to transfer money to unknown bank accounts and pay administrative expenses, security fees or taxes in order to reap profits. In many instances, they would earn a profit from the investment at the initial stage. The scammers would become uncontactable after larger amounts of money were transferred, or when the victims realised they were unable to withdraw their money. Common platforms used by the scammers in these cases to communicate with their victims include dating app Tinder, said the police. Scammers tend to prey on the current public sentiment and context, said police principal psychologist Carolyn Misir. She noted that e-commerce and face mask-related scams were prevalent when the Covid-19 crisis started. "But as time went by, (people) got displaced (from their jobs) or businesses failed - then you (start to) see more loan, investment and job scams," she said. Since its inception in June 2019, the police's Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) has recovered $127 million - about 33.8 per cent of the total amount lost by victims. "Before the set-up of our ASC, the recovery rate was between 3 and 8 per cent, based on our own internal research," said Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police (DAC) Aileen Yap. The ASC has worked with banks to freeze more than 17,000 bank accounts, and reported more than 21,000 WhatsApp accounts believed to be related to scams. DAC Yap said the ASC launched another initiative in July, which involves using automation to send SMS messages to alert potential scam victims determined through information gathering. More on this topic Related Story $9.3 million lost in 534 cases of scams in Singapore Related Story Interactive: How a love scammer’s 3-month ruse to swindle $165k got exposed Meanwhile, victims of cyber extortion lost more than $410,000, as cases rose to 141 from 81. "The most common social media platforms where these cases took place were Facebook, followed by Grindr and Instagram," said the police. In some cases, the victims would be befriended online and then coaxed into performing compromising or indecent acts in front of a camera. The video footage or images were used to extort money or online credits. Outrage of modesty cases went up to 786 from 567, while cases of voyeurism increased to 242 from 146. Cases of robbery, housebreaking and snatch theft dropped, with a 40.5 per cent decrease to 75 from 126. This is the lowest for mid-year figures in the past 10 years, said the police.
SINGAPORE - A new variant of phishing scams using spoofed SMS messages to target bank customers has been making its rounds, say the police. It contributed to 374 reported cases involving losses totalling about $1.07 million between January and May this year. In a statement on Saturday (July 10), the police said victims of this latest scam variant would typically be informed that there were payment attempts detected from their bank accounts. Such messages would then urge victims to click on the link provided in the same message if they did not make the transactions. When victims click on the link, they would be led to a phishing website that resembles the official website of a bank, requesting their personal particulars, Internet banking details and one-time passwords (OTPs). "As the scammers had spoofed the bank's SMS accounts, the scammers' message might appear in the same SMS conversation thread as a bona fide SMS message from the bank," said the police. After providing the details, the victims subsequently realised that they had been scammed after receiving SMSes about money being transferred from their bank accounts, added the police. The police advised members of the public to adopt the following measures to prevent their bank accounts from being compromised: • Do not click on URL links or call the numbers provided in unsolicited text messages. • Always verify the authenticity of the information with the official websites or sources. • Never disclose personal or Internet banking details and OTPs to anyone. Bank staff or government officials will never request such login details and OTPs over the phone. • Report any fraudulent credit or debit card charges to your bank and cancel the card immediately. Those who wish to provide any information related to such scams are also advised to call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at this website. For scam-related advice, they may also call the anti-scam helpline on 1800-722-6688 or go to this website. More on this topic Related Story Resurgence of scam targeting bank customers: Police Related Story Is the customer or bank responsible for fraudulent transactions in Singapore?
SINGAPORE - Police are investigating nearly 300 people for suspected involvement in a variety of scams. Victims lost close to $7 million in the 534 cases being probed. The suspects - 193 men and 101 women aged between 16 and 74 - are believed to be involved in cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence, said the police in a news release on Saturday (June 5). The scams were linked to Internet love, e-commerce, government-official impersonations, China-official impersonations, investments, jobs, fake gambling platforms and loans. The suspects were rounded up after the Commercial Affairs Department and seven police land divisions launched a two-week operation between May 22 and Friday. The public should "always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable" if these are linked to crimes, said the police. Separately, two men, aged 45 and 63, have been arrested for suspected involvement in a series of cheating cases as well as conspiring to illegally obtain personal information. Between May 3 and May 12, more than 60 reports were made by victims who were allegedly cheated after responding to job advertisements posted on e-commerce platforms. They lost about $236,000. In the advertisements, victims were told that they would first have to shop online using their own money. They were promised that payment for the items, along with a commission, would be deposited subsequently into their bank accounts. After one or two successful attempts, they were told to make larger purchases but were not compensated. More on this topic Related Story Beware of scam using WhatsApp accounts hacked through voicemail, warn police Related Story More than 5,500 numbers blocked via scam prevention app ScamShield Police investigations found that the 63-year-old, a mobile phone retailer, used customers' information to sign up for mobile lines without their knowledge, and sold prepaid cards to others, including the 45-year-old. The latter purportedly supplied the cards to overseas clients who were believed to be scammers. He is expected to be charged in court on Saturday (June 5). Offenders who retain illegally obtained personal information can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $10,000, or both. More on this topic Related Story Law Society warns of scams involving bogus law firms and lawyer impersonation Related Story S'pore police played 'critical role' in Interpol's online financial crime probe; $110m intercepted Anyone convicted of cheating can be jailed up to 10 years and fined. Money laundering carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Providing any type of payment service in Singapore without a licence carries a fine of up to $125,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
SINGAPORE - A total of $608,032 raised for the eight victims of the Tuas fire in an online drive has been shared among them as at Saturday night (May 1). The fund-raising initiative by non-profit organisation ItsRainingRainCoats (IRR) had surpassed its target of $300,000 on March 3. In an update on the campaign's page on website Give.Asia, IRR said on Saturday that the proceeds have been divided equally and remitted to the accounts of the eight workers. The explosion left five workers fighting for their lives in the intensive care unit. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO The explosion at 32E Tuas Avenue 11 on Feb 24 killed three workers and sent five others fighting for their lives in the intensive care unit. Of the five, one remains in a high dependency ward, while two others are continuing treatment in hospital, said IRR. The remaining two were discharged this week and sent to a two-bedded room in a dormitory, where they will continue to receive outpatient treatment. "All are making steady strides in their recovery, though we were told they won't be physically fit for work for a considerable period," said IRR. The blast occurred on the premises of Stars Engrg, a contractor dealing with fire protection systems. It forced the evacuation of 65 others in the vicinity of the blaze. The Ministry of Manpower's preliminary investigations found that the explosion was caused by the accumulation of potato starch in a confined environment. Contact with a source of ignition can cause a combustible dust explosion. More on this topic Related Story 'Some ran out screaming': Eyewitness who helped victims in Tuas fire Related Story Two workers who died due to Tuas fire were in their 20s, supporting families back home
SINGAPORE - As a police officer investigating a serious sex crime, he once spent half an hour on the floor talking to a girl about Korean pop stars before she felt comfortable enough to share her story with him. Deputy Superintendent Ker Boon Tat, 34, told The Straits Times that having a connection with the victim is key to solving crimes. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.
Lightning can strike the same place twice for scam victims - a survey has found that they can easily fall prey to scams again after being a victim once. Forty-five per cent of scam victims said they had been scammed more than once between August 2019 and last September, a survey by the Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre (HTBSC) revealed yesterday. The online survey, conducted between last August and September, polled 4,043 people comprising Singapore citizens and permanent residents. They answered questions on their scam experiences, online practices and perception of scam prevention initiatives, among other things. Six in 10 respondents said they had encountered scams in Singapore an average of 3.17 times a month. Seven per cent of respondents said they had fallen prey to scams in the one-year period. Of these, nearly half were aged between 20 and 39. Ms Whistine Chai, assistant director of the crime, investigation and forensic psychology branch at HTBSC, said: "Young people are more tech savvy and they spend a lot of time online... They might engage in activities, such as online banking or going through social media, that increase their exposure to scammers. "We also found that young people are likely to be more impulsive and complacent. They (tend) not to stop and think, or check with others before acting." In its annual crime briefing last week, the Singapore Police Force said the record number of scams reported last year pushed the overall crime rate to its highest since 2009. There were 15,756 reported scams last year, a 65.1 per cent increase from the 9,545 cases in 2019. They made up 42.1 per cent of overall crime last year, up from 27.2 per cent in 2019. The survey found that the majority of scam victims have poor cyber hygiene practices, as they tend to click on pop-up advertisements on websites, or open e-mails from unknown sources. Even though over 80 per cent of victims had seen anti-scam public campaigns before, many of them still had a poor understanding of what safe online practices entail. For instance, 49 per cent of scam victims wrongly believed that the authorities will verify their information by sending them SMS or e-mails with links to click on. Thirty-seven per cent of victims had the false belief that it is common practice to share passwords or OTPs (one-time passwords). Scam victims were also found to lack "protective factors" such as knowledge of scam tactics, financial literacy and social support from friends and family.
SINGAPORE - About 40 per cent of sexual assault cases reported to the police from 2017 to 2019 involved victims below the age of 16. In those three years, there were 6,988 reports of sexual assault, including rape, sexual assault by penetration, outrage of modesty, and sexual offences involving children and vulnerable victims, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said on Tuesday (Jan 5). In these cases, 2,798 victims were below 16, and 1,000 victims were between 16 and 20 years old. Another 3,685 victims were aged 21 and older, while 390 victims were employed as foreign domestic workers. The number of victims does not tally with the total number of cases, as a case could involve more than one victim, or a victim could be involved in more than one case. Of all the reports made, 1,368 cases resulted in prosecutions, with 931 convictions to date. Mr Shanmugam gave these figures in a written response to parliamentary questions filed by Ms Raeesah Khan and Ms He Ting Ru, who are both MPs for Sengkang GRC. They had asked for statistics related to sexual assault cases, including the age profile of victims, the proportion of repeat offenders and the nature of relationships among those involved. Mr Shanmugam said that the majority of cases - 2,957 out of 6,988 - were between strangers, followed by 2,243 cases between friends. Another 619 cases were between colleagues, including supervisors and subordinates, and 47 involved professionals and clients. A total of 599 cases were between relatives, including non-biological relatives, and 109 involved teachers and students. Teachers include tutors, coaches and related roles. Another 414 cases occurred between people with other types of relationship, such as neighbours. Mr Shanmugam also said that from 2005 to 2019, a total of 4,606 offenders were convicted of sexual assault offences. Of these, 1,364 offenders had previously been convicted of sexual assault offences and another 1,078 of other offences. In response to Ms Raeesah, Mr Shanmugam said that his ministry does not track the use of alcohol, drugs, or the prevalence and diagnosis of psychiatric conditions, in relation to sexual assault offenders.