SINGAPORE, Dec 10 — New high-risk child abuse cases in Singapore rose by 14.5 per cent last year to 2,303, according to a report by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Channel News Asia (CNA) reported today. The figure was up from 2,011 cases in 2023.
MSF also recorded 3,292 low- to moderate-risk cases in 2024, an 18 per cent increase from 2,787 the year before, CNA reported. These tier 1 cases are handled by community agencies, while tier 2 cases involve high-risk situations overseen by MSF’s Protective Service.
The ministry cautioned that tier 1 and tier 2 figures cannot be added together as some cases appear in both datasets.
MSF’s Domestic Violence Trends report showed 5,787 new tier 1 abuse cases in 2024 — up 14 per cent — driven mainly by child and spousal abuse, CNA said.
New tier 2 cases also rose about 14 per cent to 2,373, compared with 2,076 in 2023.
MSF said the increases reflect greater awareness and a stronger willingness by victims, families and the public to report abuse, alongside improved detection.
High-risk child abuse cases saw the sharpest rise.
According to the report, tier 2 child abuse cases involving physical abuse increased from 888 in 2023 to 1,171 in 2024, while sexual abuse cases also climbed, although remaining below 2022 levels.
Cases rose across all age groups, with 834 involving children aged seven to 12, 824 involving those aged zero to six, and 645 cases among youths aged 13 to 18.
MSF attributed the increase partly to more vigilance from schools and the public.
Despite the rise in high-risk cases, the number of children in out-of-home care fell from 1,509 in 2023 to 1,454 last year.
MSF said expanded safety checks and home monitoring may have kept more children safely with their families.
CNA reported that Singapore’s incidence rate for new tier 2 cases rose to 2.8 per 1,000 children but remained far lower than Australia’s 21 per 1,000 in 2022–2023.
MSF also told CNA there were no child deaths from 2021 to 2024 involving children under its case management.
Reports to the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline increased from 8,400 in 2021 to 11,100 in 2024.
Child-related reports doubled from 2,200 to 4,500, with about 17 per cent escalated to tier 2 cases.
MSF noted a spike in new tier 2 cases in October 2025, which it linked to heightened public vigilance following the report into the death of four-year-old Megan Khung, CNA reported.
Preliminary data showed overall child abuse figures for early 2025 were lower than the same period in 2024.
CNA also reported increases in spousal abuse cases, rising to 2,136 last year. MSF said more self-referrals and higher referrals from police and the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team contributed to the trend.
The report further noted rising tier 1 elder abuse cases and a decline in high-risk elderly abuse cases, alongside an increase in abuse involving non-elderly vulnerable adults.
MSF said community support services have helped prevent some cases from escalating in severity.