SINGAPORE - Family matters – including expanding the definition of family violence to include coercive or controlling behaviour, as well as steps to prevent survivors from being forced to give their abusers maintenance – were discussed in Parliament, in two separate Bills passed on Tuesday.
Here are the key takeaways:
Family violence to include psychological and emotional abuse
Although psychological and emotional abuse are less visible or understood than other forms of violence such as physical and sexual abuse, the harm caused is no less significant, said Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling during a debate on the amendment of the Women’s Charter.
Examples of these forms of abuse include perpetrators threatening to withhold monthly allowances from their spouses, making constant calls to check on their whereabouts, and isolating them from their friends or family and not allowing them to leave the house.
Why it matters
The amendment expands the definition of family violence beyond sexual and physical abuse.
These forms of controlling behaviour, known in some jurisdictions as coercive control, can also cause distress or mental harm to a survivor.
Parents seeking maintenance have to declare if they have abused child
Elderly parents seeking monetary support from their children will soon have to declare if they have had any record of abusing, abandoning or neglecting their children. If they have a record of such actions, such as a personal protection order taken out against them or they were convicted of hurting their child, the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents may not allow them to apply for maintenance.
The state can soon also order children to attend mandatory conciliation in cases involving destitute parents, and to remind them of their obligation to maintain their parents.
Amendments to the Maintenance of Parents Act, which were passed on Tuesday, also included the introduction of non-monetary orders, such as ordering a parent who is a gambling addict to attend counselling.
Why it matters
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) said the amendments seek to strike the right balance by strengthening provisions for parents while introducing measures to prevent the law’s misuse.
Research on adverse childhood experiences showed that even decades later, exposure to reminders of the original event can trigger severe reactions, and adult survivors of child abuse may relive their trauma.
Currently, about one in four cases at the Office of the Commissioner, and a third of cases at the Tribunal, involved those who alleged abandonment, abuse or neglect by their parent when they were young.
READ MORE HERE: Parents seeking maintenance have to declare if they abused child in the past
If you have a few more minutes
Safety of Covid-19 boosters
Covid-19 vaccine shots and boosters continue to be safe, said Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary.
He was responding to a parliamentary question from Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) on the incidence of adverse effects from the second Covid-19 booster jab, compared with earlier rounds of the vaccine.
An adverse event refers to undesirable medical conditions that occur after taking a vaccine.
Dr Janil said that based on Health Sciences Authority surveillance, as at May 31, the serious adverse event rate of the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines in Singapore was two in 100,000 doses for the second booster dose. This is lower than nine in 100,000 and four in 100,000 for primary and first booster doses, respectively.
Dr Janil also clarified that the current recommendation is for seniors above 60 and those medically vulnerable to take the updated bivalent booster around one year after their last booster dose. This naturally includes the second booster shot.
“Instead of counting doses, the current phrasing better communicates the recommendation for the longer term,” he said.
Dr Janil also dispelled misconceptions that the second booster shot is unsafe, given that some elderly people had more severe reactions after the second booster jab than their earlier shots.
“Having a mild response to the first vaccine doesn’t automatically mean you have a mild response to the second vaccine. There might be more discomfort, or it might be the other way around. In biology, it’s very hard to predict exactly how you respond to any given dose,” he said.
Ensuring all parties report traffic accidents to their insurers
The authorities will be working with the General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIAS) to review the requirements for reporting traffic accidents, even though there have been relatively few complaints about motorists failing to do so.
Transport Minister S. Iswaran said that between 2020 and 2022, the Monetary Authority of Singapore received 12 complaints from motorists about counterparties failing to file an accident report with their insurer, while the Land Transport Authority received one complaint.
He was responding to Ms Cheng Li Hui (Tampines GRC), as well as Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) and Ms Carrie Tan (Nee Soon GRC), who said residents have asked them for help with this issue.
Noting that the GIAS has a set of standard procedures for reporting accidents that are a condition of all motor insurance policies here, Mr Iswaran said there is an incentive for motorists to report accidents they are involved in, as they risk losing insurance coverage if they do not.
While the accident reporting procedures are not mandated by law, Mr Iswaran said insurers cannot refuse liability on the grounds that a policyholder has not reported an accident if the third-party claim is for injury or death.
If victims of road traffic accidents are still unable to pursue insurance claims, they can also file a civil claim against the counterparty, or claim compensation from their own insurer.
