The recent case of the paid sex with minor has shocked the entire country. Men between 21 and 48 years old have been called up to assist the police in investigation and 48 of them have appeared in court so far. They include businessmen and high ranking civil service servants and sadly, some of them belong to the education sector.
The public civil servants were quick to resign from their posts days after they were being called up for investigation.
After this saga, many Singaporeans' general knowledge about the laws in Singapore should have increased. At least, they know clearly that having sex with girls under 16-year-old is considered as raping even though the girls are doing it willingly and that having paid sex with girls under 18-year-old is an offence too. Punishment for raping includes caning while punishment for having paid sex with girls under 18-year-old is either jail, fine or both.
We strongly condemn the men who are in relationship or married for cheating on their girlfriends and family (spouses and children). However, being charged for having paid sex with a minor may be unfair to most of the 80 guys.
Even though we have not visited the website that advertises for the paid sexual service, some people have taken screenshots of it before the website vanishes into the thin air. It describes the call girl as 18-year-old at that point of time.
The website is totally a scam - a scam that tricks horny guys into paying for the sexual services of a 17-year-old girl, thinking that she is 18 and legal for the job.
Many people feel injustice for the charged men even though their actions are being despised. Their names are circulated all over the Internet while the identity of the now 19-year-old hardcore prostitute is being protected because she was only 17-year-old at that point of time. The hard truth is that the men who are married will not suffer as much as their wives and children. Have the media gone overboard?
Some days ago, a porn site has "exposed" the call girl's identity and photos despite the well covered up effort by the court and media of Singapore. Nobody is surprised in this era when Internet can do wonders.
On Saturday, 21 April 2012, the Singapore Police Force Facebook page has issued a warning to the public:
In regards to the recent case of commercial sex with a minor that has been widely reported in the media, we would like to remind our fans that a court order has been made, prohibiting the publication of any known photograph or information which might lead to the identification of the underage female witness.
This prohibition, also known as a gag order, includes speculation and any online queries/ checks/ verifications.
The court has imposed this gag order to protect the identity of the underage witness. Anyone who breaches this order through publication in any means, including any social media platforms e.g. Facebook, will be committing an offence, and those convicted may be jailed up to a year and fined a maximum of $5000.
While many people think the "protecting" of the "minor" will only encourage more underage girls to take up the job of call girl, social escort or prostitute, and that the teen call girl is already 19-year-old and not a minor anymore, it is up to the court to determine the correct decisions.
We hope this incident would deter guys from looking for call girls in future.
Below are some of the news videos on TV:
SINGAPORE: Forty-four men, including nine civil servants, were charged in court Monday with having paid sex with a minor.
They allegedly procured the services from an online vice ring which had employed the underaged girl or girls.
In February, reports said 80 men, including a former school principal, were believed to be assisting in the probe.
The police had said then that the investigation is part of on-going enforcement efforts to clamp down on vice syndicates.
Lee Lip Hong, 39, the former principal of Pei Chun Public School was not represented by a lawyer and was the only one who said he will plead guilty to paying S$950 in total for the sexual services of a minor on two occasions in 2010.
Lee resigned from his position in December last year, to the shock of parents and students, after serving the school for three years.
When asked, the Education Ministry said it's "unable to comment on the case, as the matter is before the courts".
Others charged included lawyers, naval officers, a managing director and businessmen.
The youngest is 21 years old, and the oldest, 48.
They are accused of obtaining sexual services from a girl or girls under 18, sometime between September 2010 and March 2011.
They allegedly paid S$450 to S$850.
During the court session, lawyer Subhas Anandan took issue with the charge sheets.
"How is anybody going to know what he is charged for when you don't know who the girl is, and what her age is? We just can't accept the word of the prosecution... We are going to ask the prosecution, the DPP, to give us further particulars. If they do not give us the further particulars, we will take it up in the High Court," he said.
While the exact number of girls involved in the cases is not known, one thing is consistent - the 44 men sought the services from a person identified as Tang Boon Thiew, the alleged ring leader of the group.
Tang is said to have been charged last year and his case is ongoing.
Tang was charged on November 4, 2011 on 34 counts under the Women's Charter and one for allegedly having paid sex with a minor.
The case against the principal will be heard again later this month while most of the others will have their cases mentioned again in June.
If convicted, they may be jailed up to seven years, fined, or both.
More men are expected to be charged at a later date.
www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1195536/1/.html
SINGAPORE: Members of the public and MPs say they are shocked by news that several public servants are involved in an on-going investigation into an online prostitution ring, including an ex-police officer and ex-principal.
They said that public servants, especially those in senior positions or who work closely with minors, have a moral authority to uphold.
Hot on the heels of a recent corruption probe involving two senior civil servants, public service officers are again in the spotlight, this time, over suspected involvement with an online prostitution ring.
Public reaction has been one of dismay, especially over news that an ex-principal may be involved.
"I recognise the fact that this may be his personal life, so what he does outside school is really something between him and his family. But nevertheless, the fact is that he's leading a group of teachers who are expected to be examples, good models for our students. I think it'd be difficult for the teachers to look up to him, if there are moral flaws in his character," said Lim Biow Chuan, Government Parliamentary Committee Chair for Education.
The former principal, who's said to be 39 years old and married, resigned unexpectedly in December.
It's believed that teachers at the popular primary school were informed of his resignation, but were not told the reason for his departure.
It's understood that the new school principal told teachers not to speak to media.
One teacher who works at the school in question, said the former principal was very well liked by teachers and students, and most were "crushed" when they found out about the news.
Described as "warm" and "friendly", the former principal was also said to be a champion of student and teacher welfare, trying to alleviate their workload as much as possible.
It's understood he also pushed for sports excellence at the school, due to his love for sports.
Some Singaporeans Channel NewsAsia spoke with felt civil servants have to maintain a high standard of conduct.
"I think it's morally not right and these public servants should be sacked on the spot. They make lousy role models for children of our generation," said one member of the public.
"Depends on what position (they're) holding. If they are in the education ministry or are senior MPs or ministers, then I think it's not appropriate," said another.
Mr Lim said he doesn't think the situation is a widespread issue. But he noted that the Education Ministry may need to review its selection process and see if there are ways to improve the appointment of top leaders in schools.
Responding to queries from Channel NewsAsia, Government Parliamentary Committee Chairman for Law and Home Affairs, Hri Kumar, said: "Civil servants should be expected to uphold the reputation and integrity of the civil service, and do nothing to undermine public confidence."
And while he does not think the recruitment process of public servants is flawed, he noted that "there must be a regular and robust assessment process, and disciplinary issues which surface are dealt with fairly and quickly".
In 2010, the Public Service Commission disciplined five officers for inappropriate or immoral behaviour.
According to PSC's annual report for the past five years, immoral or inappropriate behaviour was among the top three reasons for disciplinary action.
Authorities have remained tight-lipped over how many public servants are involved in the probe, or how they will be dealt with.
They say that as investigations are on-going, it is not appropriate to provide further details.
www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1182535/1/.html
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