Child sexual abuse in Singapore with special reference to medico-legal implications: a review of 38 cases. 2003

Cai Yiming, and Daniel Fung
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health and Woodbridge Hospital, Singapore. Yiming_Cai@imh.com.sg

There is a paucity of studies on child sexual abuse in Asia. This study reviews the trends of child sexual abuse in Singapore and discusses the medico-legal considerations in the identification, assessment and management (including forensic implications) of such cases. It is a retrospective case review of 38 consecutive cases of child sexual abuse seen at a child guidance clinic in Singapore. Our study showed that most of the children were young (74% below age 9) and female (78.9%) with perpetrators who are males and usually known to the victims. There is a need to have integrated protocols to streamline assessment and reduce the need for repeated questioning. Adequate support of the victims in the form of specialised handling during the Court proceedings and in the use of new technology (such as video conferencing) for obtaining the child's testimony may be necessary. A child's fitness to testify is determined by the credibility and competence of the child. Repressed memories are of questionable validity.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002650 Child Abuse, Sexual Sexual maltreatment of the child or minor. Child Molestation,Child Molestation, Sexual,Molestation, Sexual, Child,Sexual Abuse of Child,Sexual Abuse, Child,Abuse, Child Sexual,Child Sexual Abuse,Molestation, Child,Sexual Child Abuse,Sexual Child Molestation
D002661 Child Guidance Clinics Facilities which administer the delivery of mental health counseling services to children. Child Guidance Clinic,Clinic, Child Guidance,Clinics, Child Guidance,Guidance Clinic, Child,Guidance Clinics, Child
D002666 Psychology, Child Branch of psychology involving the study of normal and abnormal behavior of children. Child Psychology,Infant Psychology,Pediatric Psychology,Psychology, Infant,Psychology, Pediatric
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260 Female Females
D005555 Forensic Psychiatry Psychiatry in its legal aspects. This includes criminology, penology, commitment of mentally ill, the psychiatrist's role in compensation cases, the problems of releasing information to the court, and of expert testimony. Jurisprudence, Psychiatric,Psychiatric Jurisprudence,Psychiatry, Forensic
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012846 Singapore Country of islands in Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia. The capital is Singapore.

Related Publications

Cai Yiming, and Daniel Fung
September 1984, Psychiatric medicine,
Cai Yiming, and Daniel Fung
September 2018, Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan),
Cai Yiming, and Daniel Fung
November 1974, Kinderarztliche Praxis,
Cai Yiming, and Daniel Fung
January 1953, Archivos de pediatria del Uruguay,
Cai Yiming, and Daniel Fung
January 1954, Patologia polska,
Cai Yiming, and Daniel Fung
June 1992, Singapore medical journal,
Cai Yiming, and Daniel Fung
January 2002, International journal of law and psychiatry,
Cai Yiming, and Daniel Fung
March 1987, Seminars in adolescent medicine,
Copied contents to your clipboard!