11-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) Singapore and the United States have joined forces to organise a three-day forum aimed at fighting child sexual abuse and exploitation in South-East Asia. The Crimes Against Children Regional Forum 2023 is being held in Singapore from Tuesday to Thursday and is organised by the US’ Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
The forum is attended by approximately 150 representatives, including subject-matter experts, investigators, and non-governmental organisation members from Singapore, the US, and nine other South-East Asian countries. Among the topics to be discussed are effective online investigations and victim-centred interviewing techniques.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the US Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, including criminal organisations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move.
The forum aims to share strategies, investigative techniques, and best practices to investigate sexual exploitation and child abuse cases. It is also backed and funded in part by the US’ Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
Speaking at the opening ceremony at the Police Cantonment Complex on Tuesday, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling highlighted the alarming statistics revealed by a 2020 Unicef report, which showed that one in five girls and one in 13 boys are sexually exploited or abused globally before reaching the age of 18. She noted that child sexual abuse materials have increased drastically with the Internet and technology facilitating the production and sharing of such materials globally.
Sun emphasised the importance of international cooperation and noted that Singapore has amended its Penal Code to strengthen the protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse. These laws allow Singapore to prosecute its citizens and permanent residents who commit such acts abroad.
US Ambassador to Singapore Jonathan Kaplan, who was also present at the opening ceremony, said US law enforcement works tirelessly to protect children and ensure predators worldwide are brought to justice. He added that the challenge faced today is significant, including how encrypted digital storage makes it difficult to process evidence necessary to convict predators even after they have been identified.
The forum allows law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and professionals from the US and the South-east Asian region to learn from one another and explore ideas to improve their capacity in protecting children. Events like this forum are important in developing effective strategies to overcome these enormous obstacles, said Kaplan.
Encouraged by the 11 countries represented at the HSI-SPF Crimes Against Children Regional Forum who are committed to protecting children at home and around the world. Thank you Minister Sun Xueling, @SingaporePolice, @HSI_HQ and the State Department Bureau of International… pic.twitter.com/zGWMcYofiB
— Jonathan Kaplan (@USAmbSG) July 11, 2023
