Last Updated on 2023-06-27 , 10:30 am
On 23 June 2023, a 17-year-old student was charged with sexual penetration of a minor.
He was also charged with helping the then-15-year-old girl bury the body of her child after impregnating her.
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The Incident
The youths remain unnamed due to a gag order protecting the victim’s identity.
The 17-year-old allegedly had sexual intercourse with the then-15-year-old girl in July 2020.
If you weren’t aware, Singapore’s legal age of consent is 16.
They apparently had sex in a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat.
He ended up impregnating her.
According to court documents, he allegedly also instigated the girl to conceal the birth of her child.
Reportedly, on 10 June 2021, the pair secretly buried the child’s body in a front yard.
The location of the yard remains unspecified.
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The girl was 16 years old in 2021.
According to The Straits Times, the 17-year-old is currently a student at a “popular school” in Singapore.
His lawyer, Mr Choo Si Sen, noted that the youth is still studying at the school and is currently out on bail.
The boy was offered a bail of $15,000 and will return to court on 7 August.
It is currently uncertain if any action will be taken against the girl.
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The police said they could not comment further due to the ongoing court proceedings.
Possible Convictions
If convicted for abetting the concealment of birth by secret disposal of a body, the 17-year-old can be imprisoned for up to two years, be given a fine, or both.
This is regardless of whether the child died before, after, or during its birth.
For sexual penetration of a minor, the youth can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.
Sexual intercourse with a minor is illegal in Singapore, even if the act is consensual.
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Notably, if both parties are below 14 or are aged 15 when engaging in sexual activity, it is still considered statutory rape.
However, the police may exercise discretion based on the alleged act’s context.
Other similar Incidents Involving Concealment of Birth
On 24 December 2022, Chinese news daily Lianhe Zaobao reported that a foetus was found at Pasir Ris Park.
A 10-year-old found the foetus under a concrete slab.
The police were alerted to the incident at about 10.13 pm.
In January 2020, a newborn baby boy was found in a bloody bag.
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Two cleaners were clearing rubbish in Bedok North when they found the baby.
Fortunately, he was alive.
Paramedics noted that he was in stable condition and had no visible injuries.
Individuals/Couples Advised to Seek Help in Cases of Unwanted Pregnancy
In 2022, Lawyer Mohamed Fazal Abd Hamid of IRB Law told The Straits Times that individuals and couples are advised against taking the law into their own hands in the event of an unwanted pregnancy.
Instead, he urged individuals to seek help from organisations that specialise in such areas.
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Such organisation includes Babes, Safe Place and Pregnancy Crisis & Support.
Babes is a non-profit agency that helps pregnant teenagers.
Safe Place is a charity that helps pregnant women by providing mother and baby care, professional counselling and more.
Meanwhile, Pregnancy Crisis & Support provides resources to women facing unplanned pregnancies.
Mr Azri Imran Tan, a lawyer at IRB Law who specialises in criminal law, noted that the law criminalises intention.
If an intentional act causes a child to die after birth, it is a punishable offence.
However, abortions and measures to save the mother’s life are exceptions to the law.
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