Singapore Man Faces Caning For Child Abuse
I gotta tell you - it can be downright depressing, working for this website. Time and again we write about these dregs of humanity who abuse kids in unspeakable ways, only to receive a slap on the wrist. Well, I think I’ve found a cure for these blues. Singapore! Turns out that the land of opium dens and sex slaves has some pretty creative ways of punishing the bad guys. Just ask the unidentified culprit in this story.
After pleading guily to felony child molestation, our subject was sentenced to 21 years in prison. The icing on the cake? “Eight strokes of the cane“. Ouch. If I lived in Singapore, I wouldn’t tear the tags off my mattress for fear of being caned; how stupid is this guy for videotaping his deeds? Hope he’s got a good supply of Desitin.
Tags: Abuse, dad, molestation, SingaporeRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Abuse, molestation
35 opinions for Singapore Man Faces Caning For Child Abuse
Ann Adams
Sep 28, 2005 at 4:32 pm
http://www.corpun.com/singfeat.htm
They also cane children although it seems as though they’ve raised the age limit. I might agree if the girl’s parent was holding the cane; otherwise how about increasing the jail sentence to life - no parole instead.
Ann Adams
Sep 28, 2005 at 4:32 pm
http://www.corpun.com/singfeat.htm
They also cane children although it seems as though they’ve raised the age limit. I might agree if the girl’s parent was holding the cane; otherwise how about increasing the jail sentence to life - no parole instead.
Blue
Sep 29, 2005 at 11:01 am
I just want to preface my comments by saying that I think your site is great. However, I am really disturbed by your rather ignorant aside about Singapore being the “land of opium dens and sex slaves”. Get your geography and cultural facts straight, you are referring to Thailand not Singapore. Singapore happens to be one of the cleanest, anti-drug governments in the world. Before you go and generalize the entire Asia Pacific area, do some homework and get your facts right. Otherwise, you come across as an ignorant bigot.
Jason
Sep 29, 2005 at 1:00 pm
Blue, check your history books. Granted, modern Singapore is a much different place. According to the AP, over the past 10 years, close to 400 people have been hanged for drug offenses. Carrying more than .5 ounces of narcotics is considered trafficking, and those caught face a mandatory death sentence. And up until last year, getting caught chewing gum netted you a year in jail and a $5,500 USD fine. Sounds swell! My apologies to those in Singapore who may have been offended - although given the strict controls the government places on free speech, I’m pretty sure that not a whole lot of Singaporans read this.
Ann Adams
Sep 29, 2005 at 2:06 pm
The link in my previous comment is a pretty fair breakdown of Singapore law. I wanted to get my facts straight before I opened my mouth and then decided to include the link.
Singapore runs a tight ship without a lot of concern for human rights. It’s their privilege; I’m glad I don’t live there. I wonder about their priorities as well. Hanging for a drug offense, only 21 years for child molestation?
Blue
Sep 29, 2005 at 3:15 pm
Jason, no worries, no offense was taken. Thanks for the explanation.
Jay Allen
Sep 29, 2005 at 3:28 pm
“It’s their privilege; I’m glad I don’t live there.”
I have to dissent with that one, Ann. It’s not anyone’s “privilege” to violate the basic human rights of others.
Jason
Sep 29, 2005 at 3:32 pm
Hopefully readers will recognize that when I write these posts, my tongue is planted firmly in cheek. As my response to Blue indicates, I’m aware of the draconian measures Singapore’s government has taken to ensure domestic tranquility. The historian in me might make the case that Singapore’s past history (opium dens, sex traffic, warts and all) instilled a reactionary mindset in that country’s leadership. Do I advocate caning for youthful offenders, or anyone, for that matter? Certainly not. Ann’s link leaves very little doubt that it’s a pretty gruesome and agonizing experience. On the other hand - do I feel any sympathy whatsoever for a man who videotaped himself raping a child, and who later had the gall to insist that he is “a good person”? Certainly not. And given the arguably barbaric means of punishment dished out by Singapore’s judicial arm, I’m pretty sure that I’d rather be dead than spend 21 years in a Singapore prison.
Ann Adams
Sep 29, 2005 at 5:35 pm
Bad choice of words and I apologize. The last thing I would do is condone their behavior. Let’s try it again. I think what I meant to say was that we can’t do anything about what goes on in Singapore except refuse to spend our tourist dollars there or hold them up to the court of public opinion, for what that’s worth. They are a sovereign nation. We managed to stop it with one of our citizens - it took a while and a lot of publicity though. Sorry - I’ll try to do better. I sent the link for anyone who wanted to go down the list of human rights abuses perpetrated there.
I think their laws are obscene and that the end (clean streets?) doesn’t justify the means. But then I think capital punishment is an obscenity as well. I’m not getting very far with that one either.
Sorry about the misunderstanding.
cherub
Sep 30, 2005 at 10:05 pm
i do believe that capital punishment has its merits, but thats another story.
in any case, eh, chewing gum is not an offence in singapore.
its the prohibition of selling gum. anyway, its now legal to sell gum in singapore, at least those for teeth-whitening and those meant to help smokers quit…
rachel
Sep 30, 2005 at 10:13 pm
Our laws obscene? Come for a visit here Ann, you won’t see the homeless, drug addicts hanging around blighting our landscape. And oh, I promise ya you won’t be mugged - or violently raped - when you are still out and about at 3 a.m. With draconian laws in place, at least I have a peace of mind that my family members are safe and their *rights* not violated.
Ignorant bunch of racial bigots all of you out there.
Ann Adams
Oct 1, 2005 at 12:32 am
Rachel, if you knew anything about me except for your preconceived generalizations, you would know I criticize the actions of my country much more than yours. You would certainly know that I’m not a racist. You might also have noticed that I said, in my opinion, we could not (or should not) interfere in the affairs of a sovereign nation.
I believe that forfeiting personal liberty in exchange for personal safety is mistaken, no matter in which country it occurs, including my own. You don’t have to believe the same thing. Many people here would agree with you.
I read my comment over and couldn’t find a single reference to race, bigoted or otherwise.
sieteocho
Oct 1, 2005 at 1:37 am
Yeh, but if I were to say, it was those bloody British who forced the Chinese to buy up all that opium all those years ago, that would sound vaguely racist as well. So if we’re hanging all those people now, it’s a little like we’re hanging those colonialists all those years ago.
And Jason, believe me, we don’t need you to educate us about the drug laws, because we’ve heard about them too.
Mr Wang
Oct 1, 2005 at 1:58 am
I am a Singaporean lawyer.
The purpose of this comment is not so much to challenge or discuss your opinions about Singapore, but merely to correct some of the factual errors on which you base your opinions.
1. In Singapore’s criminal legal justice system, caning is imposed for certain offences. Women cannot be caned; neither can men over 50 years of age; neither can persons below the age of 16 - a lighter form of “rotan” or cane is used for those above 16 but below 21. Ann Adams is not correct to say that there have been recent changes to these general laws relating to caning - there have not been any changes for several decades.
2. Singapore most certainly is not the land of opium dens and sex slaves. I believe that there has been some confusion with Thailand.
3. Drug trafficking is punishable with the death sentence only for certain types of drugs, and only if you traffick above certain specified amounts for particular types of drugs. 15g is the amount for heroin - 15 grammes, however, refers to the net weight of pure heroin in the illegal drugs seized. Depending on the purity of the “cut”, it may typically take a packet of “heroin” weighing as 1 kg or 1.5 kg to contain 15 g of pure heroin - the rest of it is basically non-narcotic vegetable matter. Essentially you have to traffick in very significant amounts of heroin before you get the death sentence. When trying to visualise how much is 15 g of pure heroin, it is useful to think of your average Vitamin C tablet, which contains 500 mg, or just 0.5 gram of Vitamin C.
4. It is not an offence to chew gum in Singapore, or to carry gum into Singapore for your personal consumption. It is an offence to import it into Singapore for commercial sale (except, as pointed out by Cherub, for approved medical purposes).
5. There is no specific law in Singapore dealing with child molestation. The age of the victim will simply treated as an aggravating factor for sentencing purposes. The offender would have been dealt with under the usual provisions relating to molest etc.
6. 21 years in a Singapore prison will typically be reduced to 14 years (two-thirds of the original sentence), if the prisoner demonstrates good behaviour in prison.
7. Ann Adams wrote: “We managed to stop it with one of our citizens - it took a while and a lot of publicity though.” If you are referring to the Michael Fay case - his sentence was reduced but he was still caned.
Mr Wang
Oct 1, 2005 at 2:04 am
One more point, on a non-legal aspect - Jason wrote:
” … although given the strict controls the government places on free speech, I’m pretty sure that not a whole lot of Singaporans read this.”
While Singapore is certainly no role model for free speech, Jason may be surprised to note that Singapore is one of the most “plugged-in” nations in the world. On a per capita basis, more people in Singapore have Internet access than in the United States of America.
rachel
Oct 1, 2005 at 3:03 am
Ann - *preconceived* generalisations? I’m not sure who started or has it though I’m not going into that. The impressions I had was a brief stay in some of your country’s major cities. At least I based it on what I had seen, experienced and having spoken with the natives. But that doesn’t mean I felt my society is far more superior than yours.
Which I’m afraid is the impression we have judging from the comments made by your countrymen.
rachel
Oct 1, 2005 at 3:22 am
I think it’s important to note that what deems barbaric, draconian or whatever equally horrific punishments you may come up with, punishments meted out to certain crimes committed is a result of cultural mindsets and historical incidents. Mind you, some of which were passed down by the Brits themselves which forms the basis of our Law of the land. Perhaps it should be an interest to all Americans who read this that there are a number of Brits who do clamour for the return of the death sentence - ie: Hanging - in the UK given the soaring crime rates over there.
As for the curbing of free speech over here, again may I cite it has got to do with violent incidents that occured here not too long ago. As well as the sensitivity that comes with managing people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds in an island that is roughly a third the size of London. It sure harms the country’s credibility to foreign investments which we are very dependent on - as we don’t have any natural resources to export in our name. Just think: if unstabilities like racial riots, religious hatred incitements and such (all could be the cause of “free speech”) in *your* country happen on a regular basis, I’m sure foreign investors would think twice, don’t they?
Btw, please don’t teach or tell us what is right for us eh? I’m sure that you don’t like it either do you?
ag
Oct 1, 2005 at 3:29 am
what’s wrong with caning or capital punishment?
rights rights rights… lets see you talk rights when you’re the victim.
“he raped me but it’s okie. we can slap him lightly on the wrist and let him rape other girls when he gets out in a year or two because he’s got his rights!”
Mr Wang
Oct 1, 2005 at 4:07 am
I am strongly against capital punishment. It is tragic that it continues to be practised in countries such as the USA and Singapore.
mugster
Oct 1, 2005 at 8:20 am
Bravo Mr Wang! Once again you have put forth your arguments in an objective, rational manner.
Ann, while I appreciate your concern for our human rights, there IS a difference in the methods in which Asian countries are ruled. Much of your perception is perhaps influenced by your press and media, which wants you believe that all of Asia is oppressed, and that an efficient country is the result of whipping rather than self-motivation.
It’s true, in Singapore one feels safe walking around even early in the am. What is the physical pain of being caned compared to the emotional trauma suffered by a victim of sexual assault? If rapists have to be caned to protect my rights to feel safe walking about at night, then so be it.
Jason
Oct 1, 2005 at 8:32 am
Again, in reference to Singapore’s past (the opium trade, gum laws, etc.), I have neither the time nor the bandwidth to post the relevant facts - Google it, if you have an interest. I stand by what I say. To Mr. Wang’s comment: I’m well aware of Singapore’s status as a plugged-in nation (in the real world, I work in the telecom industry). As to Singapore’s official position on Internet content, the following link has some interesting things to say on that:
http://www.opennetinitiative.net/studies/singapore/
I can’t speak for Singapore’s citizens as to their thoughts on their government or society. Pardon the pun, but different strokes for different folks.
Ann Adams
Oct 1, 2005 at 9:03 am
Mr. Wang - we agree on something, at least. My information on caning was taken from the link that I sent. It read as if some of the laws had been modified. If I was incorrect, I apologize. The Michael Fay case was some time ago. I remembered that his sentence was changed but not the details. Sorry.
Rachel - we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot and I regret that. It’s been a while since “the sun never sets on the British empire”. I don’t think “those bloody Brits” is a racist statement. It’s true of any country that imposes it’s will on another, including mine. I wouldn’t consider “those bloody Yanks” racist either. Of course the English were responsible for many of the problems that beset Singapore and many of your laws were based on British law. Ours are too. We’ve been (and may still be) guilty of the same behavior toward other nations that the colonialists were.
As a country, mine has little room to criticize yours. Everything you say about our problems of homelessness, poverty, and drug addiction is true. I think many of our laws are unjust and even racially slanted. I spend much of my free time, as do many others, trying to make a change. I’m sure people who visit only our large cities receive a terrible first impression. I believe there’s more to us than that.
I don’t know about the other commenters but I said that I would have preferred a life sentence for the child molester. I would say the same thing here. I think it’s the worst crime anyone can commit, forcible rape may be second, and they should never be free to prey on anyone else. Both leave victims whose lives will never be the same. I would say that in this country as well. To me in some respects, it’s worse than murder.
ag - I’ve been a vicitm of both rape and child molestation. My nephew was murdered years ago. When I see news of these crimes, my first reaction is to draw and quarter the offenders, preferably in the public square. But, if I have a moral and religious objection to capital punishment, I can’t pick and choose which criminals I would execute. I will confess sometimes it’s hard to put my moral beliefs above my personal feelings.
josh
Oct 1, 2005 at 6:40 pm
The ped violated the child’s rights so his should also be taken. Primitive justice, perhaps, but effective. I don’t see why this is an issue.
Or maybe castration would’ve been a logical option to rectify the source of the problem.
rachel
Oct 1, 2005 at 9:03 pm
Ann - Not at all but I’m glad our debate doesn’t spiral into a mindless argument :) May I clarify though that the bloody Brits statement was not made by me! I’m sorry to hear what you have had gone through and about your nephew too. I hope your family has find some sort of closure.
Admittedly, life sentence is an option that my country could possible explore - nor does it cross my mind whilst debating about it! - but like what the saying goes, old habits die hard. And again, it’s the cultural make up that believes in punishing the individual with the safety of the society at large in mind.
Good luck in your quest to make a difference in your environment. Before I end this, I must say that to me at least there are more positive influences the British had left us than the negative, as taking a look around us, they did a better job than the Dutch, Spanish and the French combined.
Jason - I have to say though that you have to take a pinch of salt with those articles you googled. With reference to opium dens, I believe there were more in places like Hong Kong in the 19th century of course which led to or as a consequence of the Opium War in China. In fact we had more gambling dens than opium ones. I’m sure my country’s national archives or history books do not wish to mislead us on that.
As with the sex slaves reference, I take it as an insult to our country’s image and our women. If your sources were refering to the Japanese occupation or rather invasion of Singapore in 1942, I infer that they meant Comfort women who were largely Korean and who were brought to wherever Japanese soldiers were. Singaporean Chinese women were rounded up, raped and then tortured/bayoneted to death. Again, this is not based on fiction nor propaganda, my family had gone through this.
But then again, western sources/commenters can’t really differentiate between the asian races as we appear to be exactly alike, so why bother making the distinction isn’t it?
Ann Adams
Oct 2, 2005 at 6:58 am
This is the end I promise, Rachel. Sorry I lost my place in the fine print of the comments. I answered the wrong person about the Brits and the Yanks.
I’m sorry about your family and of course I believe it. I will never understand our inhumanity to each other.
I agree about the British, Dutch, etc. It was still oppression even though it’s history now. I think the former British colonies are doing better than the French, Dutch, or Spanish. I’m not going to dredge up statistics to prove it but Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Canada, and the USA are fair examples.
We’re a long way from the original topic, aren’t we. That’s probably a good thing. We’re communicating and I’ve learned a lot, both from you and Mr. Wang. Click on my name and my blog turns up if you every feel like chatting with a USA penpal.
Jason
Oct 2, 2005 at 8:22 am
Rachel - ah, so now I’m a racist. As are, apparently, all “western sources/commenters”. Brilliant.
Mr Wang
Oct 2, 2005 at 8:34 pm
Jason
I think that the general drift of your comments has created the strong impression among the Singaporeans reading this blog that you really do not know Singapore at all.
That is why you are having a credibility problem here.
It all begins with your description of Singapore as the land of opium dens and sex slaves - then your sad attempt to justify your description by pointing to some long-ago era in Singapore’s history.
One might as well describe the USA as the land of slavery. But really it is rather pointless, you know. The fact that hundreds of thousands (millions?) of black people were captured from Africa and forcibly transported and compelled to do hard labour and enslaved for the rest of their lives in the USA is not very relevant to most current affairs in the US today.
And the rest of it follows ….
Like your lame insistence that the act of chewing gum in Singapore is illegal. It is not, and it has never been. You should trust me on this, should you not?
The recent change in laws you refer to is a result of the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement whereby Singapore and the US are mutually allowing each other to trade more freely in various goods and services. The change makes it easier for US companies to import chewing gum into Singapore.
There is a world of difference between importing gum for commercial purposes, and chewing it as an individual consumer.
Finally, don’t get too hung up about the Western/Eastern divide in any discussion on Singapore. In many ways, Singapore is a peculiar place - in my opinion, it is neither Western nor Eastern, or if you like, it is both Western and Eastern. Might as well add that it is Northern and Southern too.
25% of the people in Singapore at any time are not Singaporean. They come from all over the world.
Singaporeans themselves are the world’s No. 1 or No. 2 most widely-travelled people. Many of us have spent at least a few years of our lives living / working / studying in other countries, East & West. We know the world.
No point focusing too much on East/West divides in Singapore. Even caning was introduced by the British. So was the death sentence. Now, the European Union has moved decisively away from capital punishment, but sigh, the US and Singapore still stick to it.
And on your point about how there must only be a few Singaporeans reading this blog due to the strict controls in Singapore - well, did you know how I came by here? Click here to find out:
http://tomorrow.sg/archives/2005/10/01/cane_or_not.html
Gee whiz, guess what, I didn’t have to manoeuvre past a whole maze of government Internet controls to get here. One click sufficed.
Jason
Oct 3, 2005 at 9:12 am
Honestly, Mr. Wang, at this point I could care less. I believe I clarified my comments; the purpose of this website is to provide a satirical, offbeat and humorous look at what can be truly heart-wrenching stories about parental misconduct, not to serve as a forum for East-West relations. I’m assuming that you read some of my other posts and the posts of my fellow PBB writers. Furthermore, I stated that I do not presume to speak for Singaporeans (thanks for the correction, BTW) on the nature of their government. I can only speak from my perspective - which is admittedly cynical and jaded (I welcome you to go back through my personal website and read some of my posts about my own government - you’ll find that I’m a far cry from the Yankee Imperialist that Rachel and the commenters on that particular link paint me out to be).
I spent four years working on a degree in International Relations (ironic, no? My focus was the Middle East, BTW) and was frequently told by visiting professors and students that my country was responsible for just about everything that was wrong with the world. Half the time I agreed with them. When I didn’t, I agreed to disagree, and we moved the conversation on to baseball, rugby, art, movies, what have you. There’s a level of defensiveness and hostility in the comments that I read on PBB and the link you provided (I like Rachel’s line about the “female species”) which was interesting, to say the least. And off-putting; I’m not one to engage in a shouting match, so I’m bowing out of the public debate on my site.
What’s truly fascinating to me are the claims of racism. That is the last refuge of a poor debater, and I’m not too concerned about my credibility when I’m accused of being something that I am not. Again, I have neither the time nor the energy nor the desire to respond to that. Sticks and stones, etc.
I will say that this experience has prompted me to learn a bit more about your country. Partially for selfish reasons - my wife is flying to Hong Kong on business in November and may be taking a side trip to Singapore. I’ll trust you and let her know it’s ok to bring gum, but if she gets busted it’s gonna be on your conscience. :)
rachel
Oct 3, 2005 at 9:20 am
Ann - Will be in touch soon, thanks for the invite :)
Jason - I’m not sure if you and I are speaking the same language ie: English, but it’s obvious you had a very narrow definition of the word “sources/commenters”. But then again, the English I’ve had been speaking since birth is British English so that may explain why.
Mr Wang - Methinks the impression Jason has on our country with the slanderous “opium dens and sex slaves” remark orginated from the chinatowns in the USA. The typical narrow-minded person of western persuasion - which are also aplenty in Singapore, aka Foreign Talent - who insists that their warped version of is correct despite the glaring factual errors.
Jason
Oct 3, 2005 at 10:26 am
Rachel - based on your grasp of English grammar, I’m not sure we’re speaking the same language either.
(Baseball announcers often refer to “hanging curveballs”. Thanks for giving me one.)
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Oct 19, 2005 at 8:41 pm
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yvette
Nov 21, 2005 at 10:08 pm
You all got very side tracked accusing each other of racism! The point, which was interestingly evaded by some, was that a child molester recieved a very small sentence when compared to sentences imposed on drug carriers. Surely, everyone, Singaporean, American etc…, can agree that this is absurd and unjust.
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colin farrell
Feb 23, 2006 at 3:23 am
Mr Wang is mistaken in saying that Singapore’s caning laws have remained the same for many years. As detailed on the page of my site that Ann kindly quoted, the number of offences for which caning may be imposed has in fact increased considerably.
For example, in 2003 it was extended to cover illegal moneylenders.
Mr Wang is also wrong when he says that boys under 16 cannot be caned. The lower courts can’t cane them, but the High Court can, and occasionally does.
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