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The Singapore Police Force (SPF) held the fifth Sexual Crime Awareness Seminar at the Police Cantonment Complex on 27 April 2026. Organised in conjunction with the International Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the seminar brought together key partners and stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education (MOE), SG Her Empowerment, and the Attorney-General’s Chambers to strengthen our collective efforts against sexual crimes. The event was graced by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State (SMS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Home Affairs.

Over the past five years, the number of sexual assault cases has remained stable at about 2,500 cases per year. However, specific crimes such as outrage of modesty remain a concern. In 2025, the number of outrage of modesty cases increased by 7.3% to 1,531 cases, from 1,427 cases in 2024. 75% of these cases occurred in non-residential premises, such as public transport, nightspots, shopping complexes, and other commercial premises.

The theme of the Sexual Crime Awareness Seminar 2026, “Community Action to Protect Sexual Crime Victims”, underscores the importance of collective responsibility in combating sexual crimes. As part of this, the SPF will roll out initiatives to strengthen public awareness and encourage the community to take action to prevent, deter and report such offences. 

Galvanising Community Action: “Don’t be a Bystander! SPOT it. Report it.”
During the event, SMS Sim Ann announced the launch of a year-long campaign, “Don’t be a Bystander! SPOT it. Report it.”, The S.P.O.T. action protocol is newly introduced by the SPF, to guide the public on how to respond when they witness sexual crimes. It stands for Spot it, Protect the victim (and oneself), Observe key details, and Tell the Police. More details on the S.P.O.T. action protocol are provided in the Annex. The campaign will be rolled out across:

• Public Spaces: The SPF will deploy a refreshed set of campaign visuals by May 2026 to highlight the tagline, raise crime awareness, and encourage vigilance. 
• Public Transport Network: The SPF will introduce new anti-outrage of modesty messages in the second half of 2026. The SPF will also continue to maintain a strong presence in the MRT network to deter crime. 
  
  
• Public Entertainment Outlets: In addition to the new visuals, the SPF will install mirror stickers with the campaign tagline, “Don’t be a Bystander! SPOT it. Report it.” in washrooms within and in the vicinity of public entertainment outlets in Q4 2026.
  
  
• The SPF will also continue to partner MOE to conduct school talks throughout the year to raise students’ awareness of sexual crimes and familiarise them with the S.P.O.T. action protocol. 

Support and Protection for Victims of Sexual Crime
Beyond the campaign, the SPF and our partners will continue to strengthen support for victims of sexual crimes. Some of these initiatives include:

• “Sexual Crime Report” option in the queue management system kiosk at Police stations: Victims who select this option will be prioritised and attended to in a private area to protect their privacy.
  
  
• One-Stop Abuse Forensic Examination (OneSAFE) Centre: Established in collaboration with KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, National University Hospital and Singapore General Hospital, the OneSAFE centre, located within the Police Cantonment Complex, allows victims of sexual crimes to undergo police interviews and forensic medical examinations at a single location. This reduces the need for travel and provides them better privacy and convenience during the investigation process.
  
  
• Multi-Disciplinary Interviews (MDI): Conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, the MDI integrates forensic medical examination for young victims. This minimises the potential for the victims’ re-traumatisation during the investigative process. 
  
  
• Holistic support for victims of sexual crime: Through collaborations with Care Corner Project StART, PAVE and TRANS Family Services, victims are provided longer-term counselling beyond the conclusion of investigations. This programme complements the support provided by the Victim Care Officers under the SPF’s Victim Care Cadre Programme. 
  
  
• Public resources on sexual crime information: The SPF has refreshed its webpage on sexual crime information and developed a video highlighting the end-to-end processes for managing sexual crimes involving youth victims. The video, released in April 2024, explains the reporting process and disclosure of incidents through community partners, such as schools, as well as the investigation and prosecution processes. It also highlights the existing victim care measures integrated throughout the entire process.  
  
  
• On-site victim interviews at the SHECARES@SCWO Support Centre: In collaboration with the SG Her Empowerment to enhance victim support, victims of certain serious sexual crimes may be interviewed by police officers at the SHECARES@SCWO premises. 

The community has a crucial role to play in fostering a shared culture of vigilance and guardianship. The SPF will continue to support victims and work with the wider community to spread the campaign message: “Don’t be a Bystander! SPOT it. Report it.”.

Annex A

S.P.O.T. Action Protocol

Annex B

Photos taken at the Police Sexual Crime Awareness Seminar 2026

SMS Sim Ann delivering opening remarks at the Sexual Crime Awareness Seminar 2026

From left to right: DC Zhang Weihan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigation and Intelligence) concurrent Director of Criminal Investigation Department, Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Tan Puay Kern, Vice Chairman, National Crime Prevention Council