Singapore is still willing to consider chemical castration as a tool to address sexual offenses, provided there is clear evidence that it effectively reduces crime, said Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.
He added that current evidence remains inconclusive, according to a written parliamentary reply he provided on Tuesday.
Shanmugam stated, “We are still prepared to evaluate pharmacological anti‑androgen treatments—commonly referred to as chemical castration—if they demonstrably lower crime rates. However, the evidence to date is not conclusive.”
Shanmugam, who also serves as the coordinating minister for national security, was responding to a query from Member of Parliament Gerald Giam regarding whether the Ministry of Home Affairs had examined pharmacological treatments or a sex offender registry as additional deterrents to curb crime and lower recidivism.
Giam further inquired whether statutory penalties for serious sexual offenses involving children and young people would be revisited given the recent rise in reported incidents.
In reply, Shanmugam emphasized that the government treats sexual offenses gravely and imposes harsh penalties, especially when the victims are minors.
