SINGAPORE — Under a law passed by Parliament on Tuesday (July 4), survivors of family violence aged under 18 will be able to get help from a "protector", a newly created official role, to apply for personal protection orders (PPO) on their behalf.

The position of protector falls within the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and will be empowered to step in for adult survivors as well when the law comes into force.

Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling clarified the role of protectors in response to queries from Members of Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday.

The MPs had noted that the legislative amendments — aimed at giving authorities more power to intervene in high-risk cases of family violence — did not allow those under 18 to apply for a PPO on their own if necessary.

Ms Sun clarified that protectors can step in to assist in the cases of such younger survivors.

In another key change under the Women’s Charter (Family Violence and Other Matters) (Amendment) Bill, those who are unmarried and aged between 18 and 20 will now be able to apply for a PPO on their own. Despite the Bill's name, the amendments cover all people, not just women.

To date, only persons aged 21 and above have been able to make these applications on their own. 

Prior to this Bill, those under 21 would have to rely on a family member, guardian, social service professional or someone responsible for their care to apply for a PPO on their behalf.

Six MPs from both sides of the house and Ms Sun spoke in an almost two-hour debate on the Bill. 

The MPs raised concerns about how the identities of victims would be protected, how MSF will work alongside the police and concerns about manpower and resources to support provisions contained in the Bill, among other things.

ENSURING PROTECTORS ARE EQUIPPED TO HELP FAMILY VIOLENCE SURVIVORS

Under the amended law, in exceptional cases and as a last resort if all other measures are not enough to protect the victim, protectors can also apply to the court to remove adult victims from their homes.

The Bill grants powers to protectors who can be appointed or authorised by MSF’s director-general of social welfare to exercise certain functions under the law.

Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) MP Louis Ng asked about the qualifications of protectors.

In response, Ms Sun said that they will be social service professionals “who are trained in managing family violence and protection cases and have expertise in trauma-informed care and support”.

“They are committed to ensuring the well-being and safety of families affected by violence, and have a keen awareness of the unique needs and challenges faced by the families they serve,” she added.

Ms Sun also assured the House that protectors will be provided with sufficient manpower, training and access to up-to-date research.

As the amended law provides MSF with more authority over domestic violence matters, Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim of the Workers’ Party raised concerns that the police would play a “secondary role” in responding to domestic violence cases.

“In domestic cases where arrestable crimes have likely been committed, can the Government assure the public that the police will follow the usual criminal processes and not simply leave it to MSF to handle such cases under the Women’s Charter?" she asked.

To this end, Ms Sun said the police will continue to process cases as per usual if arrestable offences are disclosed. 

MSF’s 24-hour Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team will respond with the police in high-risk family violence situations to address immediate safety concerns and refer families to protection specialist centres for follow-up intervention.

During Tuesday’s debate, MPs also raised questions about the Bill’s protection of the identities of family violence survivors, noting that this means some perpetrators may have their identities hidden.

This is because some perpetrators are close family members, and revealing their identities may put victims in the spotlight.

Marine Parade GRC MP Seah Kian Peng, for one, noted that it might be in the public interest for re-offenders to be identified “because of the element of public harm”. 

However, Ms Sun defended the provisions of the Bill, noting that the purpose of prohibiting the publication or broadcast of such information is solely to protect family violence survivors.

“The intent is to encourage survivors to report family violence incidents without the fear of being publicly embarrassed, and to spare survivors who do report such incidents from further trauma.”

Citing a family violence survivor who was concerned how her child might be impacted as her and her husband’s identities were made known publicly after her husband was prosecuted for breaching a PPO, Ms Sun said the new law would provide privacy for victims to heal from their trauma.

“However, if the survivor consents to the publication or broadcast of such information that could identify him or her, the Director-General of Social Welfare will regard his or her consent as a highly relevant factor and may decide to grant approval for such publication or broadcast,” she added.