SINGAPORE — Singapore is open to considering chemical castration for sex offenders if there is clear evidence that the treatment can reduce sexual crime, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in Parliament.

In a written reply on Sept. 8, Shanmugam said the Government would consider pharmacological anti-androgen treatments — commonly referred to as chemical castration — if they are shown to be effective in lowering crime rates. However, he stressed that the evidence available so far remains inconclusive.

Government studying stronger measures

Shanmugam was responding to a parliamentary question from Workers' Party MP Gerald Giam, who asked whether the Ministry of Home Affairs had evaluated chemical castration and a sex offender register as additional measures to deter sexual offences against children and young people.

Giam also asked whether statutory penalties for major sexual offences involving children and youths should be reviewed amid an increase in reported cases.

Shanmugam said Singapore already imposes stiff penalties, particularly when victims are minors.

Heavy penalties already in place

For rape or penetrative sexual assault involving a child below 14 without consent, offenders face at least eight years and up to 20 years in prison, together with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.

Outrage of modesty involving a child below 14 can carry up to five years' imprisonment, a fine and caning. Where the child is hurt or restrained, the offender faces a mandatory minimum jail term of three years, with the sentence potentially reaching 10 years, along with mandatory caning.

Singapore has also introduced further legislative measures over the years to strengthen protection against serious sexual offences.

Dangerous offenders can face extended detention

Shanmugam pointed to the Sentence for Enhanced Public Protection (SEPP), which came into force on July 31, 2026.

Under the new regime, offenders convicted of serious violent or sexual offences who are assessed to pose a substantial risk of reoffending can be detained for a minimum period of five to 20 years, as determined by the court.

They can only be released once the authorities determine that they no longer pose a threat to the public.

Singapore already keeps a sex offender record

On the question of a public sex offender registry, Shanmugam said the police already maintain a non-public record of people convicted of serious offences, including sexual crimes.

The information is shared with selected agencies, including the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education, when screening applicants for jobs involving sustained contact with children and young people.

The Government is also considering expanding such screening to more roles involving children, including potentially introducing voluntary screening in some unregulated sectors.

Chemical castration remains an open question

Chemical castration uses medication designed to reduce androgen activity and, consequently, sexual drive. But Singapore has not committed to introducing the measure, with Shanmugam making clear that the current evidence is not sufficiently conclusive.

The Government's position therefore remains conditional: if credible evidence demonstrates that the treatment effectively reduces sexual offending, it could be considered as another tool.

For now, Singapore is tightening its existing safeguards while keeping chemical castration on the table — but only if evidence can show that it actually makes the public safer.

WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D