More underage teens in S'pore see casual sex as acceptable

More underage teens in S'pore see casual sex as acceptable
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 31 October 2009 1945 hrs

SINGAPORE: More underage teenagers in Singapore view casual sex as being normal and acceptable.

The Attorney General, Professor Walter Woon, addressed this issue at the third Children's Society Lecture on Saturday.

He said the job for the prosecution becomes even tougher when two minors engage in casual sex.

Modern technology and the Internet have played a part in the changing mindsets of young people in Singapore.

Carol Balhetchet, director of youth services, Singapore Children's Society, said: "The media in various forms is giving that message that it's cool to be quite open about your sexuality. They tend to experiment and try out, literally try it out, and if you are not in the group that has tried it out, then you are not cool."

Prof Woon said young people are becoming more open with their sexuality, with some even thinking that casual sex is inevitable. As such, legal cases that are emerging have become complex, with some minors even going to the extent of soliciting sexual services.

Prof Woon said: "As what I see from some of the cases that come across my desk, they go out and solicit these contacts. In one case, she solicited it in her own home, not far from where I live.....It is not just the girls, but the boys (too)... male prostitute who went on the Internet, gay chatroom to earn money...."

When it comes to cases involving two minors engaging in casual sex, Prof Woon said the law may not be enough to deal with the issue. "It is not easy and this is where the NGOs, the community services play a part. Obviously, it is not just for the judges. The judges cannot do very much by themselves.

"There has to be some follow-up. Even if you send the boy to jail, or the girl to jail, or both of them to jail, there has got to be something done.

"Sending them to jail per se would not make them reflect on their lives. That is the last thing that is going to happen. But good or ill, this is the framework that we have."

The problem of underage teenagers engaging in sexual activities have seen an upward trend in recent years.

Cases involving consensual sex with a girl under 14, which amounts to statutory rape, have nearly doubled over the last five years - from over 160 cases five years ago to 300 cases this year.

Prof Woon said there could be more, as these were just cases that were reported.

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