Guidance

Rape and sexual assault in Singapore: information for victims

Updated 7 May 2024

This information is provided to help British nationals overseas make decisions about whether and how to seek medical advice and attention; report to local police; and engage with foreign legal authorities following a rape or other form of sexual assault overseas.

For information on support available in the UK, see Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK.

First steps

What you do next is your choice, but this information may help you in coming to a decision. The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. You can:

• contact the emergency numbers for Singapore: 999 (police) or 995 (ambulance)
• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
• contact the British High Commission in Singapore: 6424 4200 – available 24/7. Choose the option for consular services/emergencies

We’ll be polite, patient, sensitive and non-judgemental. We’ll share information with you on police and medical procedures. Anything you tell us will be treated in the strictest confidence.

If you want to report the incident to the police in Singapore

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you don’t have a tour operator, we’ll try to send a consular officer to support you. If you approach the police directly, you can also ask them to contact us.

If you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible to retain forensic evidence. Washing yourself or your clothes may affect how much forensic evidence the police can use. Think about other items that the police can use as evidence like a condom or a toothbrush.

If possible, you’ll be asked to give clothing or items used at the time of the offence. If the perpetrator is known to you, the police will ask to see email exchanges, phone records, and/or text messages.

Tell the police if you think you have been drugged. Insist that you get a police report. You have the option to speak with male or female officers. English is an official language in Singapore, so there’s no need for an interpreter. All documents and reports are in English.

Male homosexual acts are illegal in Singapore. However, if you’re a man raped by another man, the authorities should treat this as they would any other rape case with no prejudice against you. We can come to the police station with you, if you like. We can ask that you be interviewed by a female police officer if that’s what you would prefer and if one is available. We can give you a list of local lawyers, but only you can decide whether or not to take further action. We cannot make this decision for you.

Under the law, anyone suspected of committing an offence shall have their passport retained by the police. This is not the case for victims, so you should be able to leave Singapore at any time. Speak with your investigating officer in case they need any further statements from you before you leave.

If you choose not to take further action in Singapore

You can report the incident to your tour operator and ask them for help. If it’s possible, they can accompany you to the hospital if this is what you want. If you choose not to report the crime, your case may not be investigated unless a third party reports it to the police. In this case, a file will be opened and statements taken; how far the investigation goes will depend on what forensic evidence is available.

We can help you contact your family, travel agent, and insurance company if you would like to return to the UK. We can provide you with information on local support in the UK.

If you decide to report the crime after returning to the UK, police in Singapore can still carry out an investigation. However, their investigations may be hampered by a lack of access to forensic evidence.

If you decide not to report the crime, you can still get medical attention. However, medical professionals in Singapore are required by law to report the incident to the police.

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

You can report the crime to police in the UK. However, UK police cannot investigate crimes committed overseas. It can be very difficult to guarantee that any justice can be achieved without reporting the crime locally.

See Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK.

Reporting the crime in Singapore - what happens next?

You will be asked to give a statement with as much information as possible. Having a detailed description of the perpetrator would help. The police may retain clothing or other items that were provided as evidence.

A medical examination is often done to preserve evidence. If you wish to do this, you will first have to file a police report. Then, a police officer will escort you to a hospital or to the OneSAFE Centre if a forensic medical exam is required. This will be performed by a forensic examiner with specialised training. Samples might be taken if needed.

The medical examination: what to expect

All hospitals and medical centres can treat victims of rape and sexual assault.

Hospitals have an obligation to the report the results of any examination to the police.

The examiner will require a full and thorough medical history and will conduct a full physical examination. They may also take samples of semen and hair for DNA testing. Other procedures may include:

• collection of blood, urine and other body secretion samples
• photo documentation
• collection of clothing, especially underwear
• collection of any possible physical evidence that may have transferred onto you from the scene
• you can request that the medical exam be done by a female doctor if that’s what you prefer. Depending on local conditions and laws, we can arrange for you to see a doctor who can advise on sexually-transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS, and on pregnancy or abortion. The Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) has an FAQ page on abortion that might be helpful

Treatment

• HIV PEP (‘post-exposure prophylaxis’, a treatment that can prevent HIV infection) is medically prescribed and is available through medical clinics

• HIV PEP medication needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective. The NHS may be able to start or continue the 28-day treatment upon your return to the UK

• emergency contraceptives are available only with a prescription. Visit a doctor as soon as possible, ideally within 48 to 72 hours

• costs for forensic tests are covered by the Singapore police. You or your insurance provider will need to cover any additional costs

• if you have had medication administered overseas, you may wish to keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication. Let your local health provider know about it when you return home

Police investigations in Singapore: what to expect

The police may decide to take you back to the scene of the crime as part of the investigation process. They will only do this if necessary. You may be asked to identify a suspect at the police station. Your identity will be protected by a two-way mirror, and you will never be in the same room as the suspect.

If the police make an arrest, the case will be referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC). The AGC / Public Prosecutor will decide whether to charge the accused person. The length of police investigations, the time it takes to make a charging decision, the time it takes for the case to reach trial, and the duration of the trial all depend on many factors, including how complex the case is.

In the process of making the charging decision, you may be invited to the AGC for an interview with a Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP). You may ask to be accompanied by your lawyer for this interview, but the DPP is not obligated to agree.

You can request to be interviewed by a female DPP or for a female DPP to be present in the room. Such requests are normally granted.

Depending on how the case proceeds towards trial, you may be required to give evidence to the public prosecutor (so that it can be used in written form), or testify in Court. If you do so, there are processes to ensure your safety and support as much as possible, and your identity can be protected.

If you appoint a lawyer, they will be able to correspond with the investigating officer and public prosecutor to make this process as smooth as possible. Your lawyer will not be granted access to any of the evidence held by the DPP. However, they can help to ensure that your statement is presented clearly when it is used in Court.

Some lawyers will take on work pro bono here in Singapore, details can be found in our lawyers list.

If you want to leave Singapore, you should speak with the investigating police officer handling your case. They will be able to inform you if and when you will be required to provide further evidence, and if that can be done from the UK.

Court procedures: what to expect

In general, you can choose to testify behind closed-door hearings in court. If the victim is a foreigner based abroad, the AGC will decide on whether testimony via video link from overseas is acceptable.

If you choose not to have a lawyer, the police investigator will keep you updated on the case. It’s important to have a lawyer who can advocate for you and support you. They will be best placed to advise you on the legal and criminal system in Singapore to help you make important decisions on your case.

If the case requires further investigation, you may have to give an additional statement.

Reports of rape or sexual assault will be investigated thoroughly. The authorities will not impose any legal repercussions on you if you withdraw your statement or later change your mind, barring criminal acts such as intentionally giving false evidence or giving false information to a public servant. However, the AGC/Public Prosecutor make the final decision whether to drop any criminal charges that have already been brought against the alleged perpetrators.

If the accused person believes you have intentionally given false evidence against them or fabricated evidence against them, they have the right to lodge a police report against you.

It is possible for the courts to review any requests for compensation for injuries or losses. Final decision rests with the courts.

While there is no state-funded compensation scheme that provides support for physical or psychological injuries, the support organisations detailed below will be able to provide resources and assistance.

When you return home to the UK

You may want to let your GP or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre know what has happened to you so that you can talk about the experience and seek further support and advice.

If you believe you may be at risk of having contracted a sexually-transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you, even if you have been tested in the country that the assault took place in.

Local police will not inform the UK Police of any convictions.

Support organisations in Singapore

It is your choice to let people know. If you are ready to talk about it, the following organisations may be able to help you:

Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE)

Women’s Helpline 1800 777 5555

General enquiries (65) 6779 7137

FAQs on abortion: https://www.aware.org.sg/information/abortion/

Guide on sexual assault: https://www.aware.org.sg/information/sexual-assault/

Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC)

5 Dover Crescent, #01-22 Singapore 130005

Phone number (65) 6779 0282 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 10pm)

Help available: counselling, legal consultation, befriending services, support groups.

Guide: What to do in the first 72 hours after rape or sexual assault.

Samaritans of Singapore (SOS)

10 Cantonment Close, #01-01 Singapore 080010

Phone number 1800 221 4444 (24 hours)

Help available: crisis support, specialist counselling, emotional support, bereavement support group

For LGBT victims of sexual assault: Oogachaga

A Holding Space

Phone number (WhatsApp): +65 8462 2951

Help available: online support group, emotional support, counselling.

Support also available from other organisations listed here.

A tool kit is available to download here [A Holding Space

The Whitehatters](https://www.thewhitehatters.sg/aholdingspace)

Disclaimer

This information is provided by the British Government for the convenience of enquirers, but neither His Majesty’s Government nor any official of the Consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or legal advice.

Medical information has been provided by The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and The Rowan SARC NI and was accurate at the time of production.