More child abuse cases in S’pore in 2025; reports to anti-violence helpline rose 49%

SINGAPORE - The number of child abuse cases in Singapore rose in 2025, amid greater vigilance among the public and frontline professionals in spotting and reporting signs of abuse.

The heightened awareness follows the Megan Khung abuse case that drew public scrutiny and led to a series of changes to strengthen the child protection system. The four-year-old girl was horrifically abused to death by her mother and her ex-boyfriend in 2020.

The National Anti-Violence & Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH), a 24-hour helpline for reporting family violence, received 16,525 reports in 2025, a 49 per cent jump from 11,068 in 2024.

In 2025, there were 2,476 new child abuse cases of low or moderate safety and risk concerns, up by 16% from 2,128 in 2023 and 4% from 2,373 in 2024. These are categorised as Tier 1 cases, and include children who are excessively or inappropriately disciplined by parents.

Another 1,917 new cases were classified as Tier 2 in 2025, involving children facing high safety and risk concerns, such as being sexually abused or seriously injured, including burns or fractures.  

These figures were released on Oct 29 in an annual report by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) that looks at trends in family violence, from child abuse to spousal and elder abuse.

The Domestic Violence Trends Report 2026 noted that the Tier 2 cases in 2025 are not directly comparable to past years’ figures, because of changes in how cases are counted.

Previously, all children in a family were counted when one child was abused. Under the revised method, only children who were abused or had witnessed abuse within the family are counted.

MSF has also changed how it counts Tier 1 cases to avoid duplication when the same case is handled by multiple community agencies or moves between tiers because of changes in the level of intervention needed.

Tier 2 cases are handled by the MSF Protective Service, which has the statutory power to remove the child from the family if needed to keep the child safe, while Tier 1 cases are handled by community agencies such as Family Service Centres and Child Protection Specialist Centres.

The report covers children from newborns up to the age of 18. Those aged seven to 12 made up the largest group of abused children across both tiers in 2025. 

For the first time, the report also broke down the proportion of children in Tier 2 cases who were abused and those who witnessed abuse.

The MSF said that most of the abusers in the Tier 2 cases are parents or step-parents.

About half were children who were abused, while the other half were exposed to abuse.

An MSF spokesperson said that witnessing violence at home can affect a child’s emotional well-being, behaviour and social development.

Identifying these concerns early allows support to be given to the child and family, to mitigate the impact of such exposure and reduce the risk of further harm.

Physical abuse was the most common form of abuse across both categories.

The report noted that many Tier 2 cases involved the “excessive use of physical force” in disciplining the child. 

The MSF spokesperson told The Straits Times: “We are clear that not every act of parental discipline constitutes physical abuse. The concern is when the disciplinary action is excessive and results in, or is likely to result in, serious physical harm or injury to the child.”

MSF’s Protective Service, which manages high-risk cases, said it considers the circumstances as a whole, including the force and frequency of the actions, and if there were any injuries.

Punishment that results in injuries that require medical treatment or hospitalisation, such as fractures or burns, may amount to abuse.

So can actions that could cause serious or fatal injuries, such as striking a child with a dangerous object, slamming a child against a wall, or trying to suffocate or strangle a child.

She added: “The key message is that discipline should guide a child, not put the child’s safety or well-being at risk.”

Social workers handling lower risk cases say some parents did not intend to abuse their children, but may have lost control of themselves when dealing with behavioural challenges or academic issues.

Montfort Care’s director of Integrated Family Service Kevin See said it has encountered primary school pupils with severe bruising, after being caned or hit with objects such as belts, hangers and mops.

He added: “Beyond physical trauma, the emotional toll is profound. Children develop chronic anxiety, lose trust in caregivers and live in constant fear at home and in school.”

Other forms of harm include emotional and psychological abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Neglect occurs when parents fail to provide for the child’s basic needs, such as food, care and shelter.

Anne Chui, head of Allkin Family Service Centre@Ang Mo Kio 230, said emotional and psychological abuse happens when there is a persistent pattern of behaviour that undermines a child’s emotional security, dignity and well-being.

For example, the child is repeatedly humiliated, compared unfavourably with siblings or unfairly blamed for the family’s problems.

Surge in reporting

The 43-page report had a new section on Singapore’s domestic violence response system, including the work of NAVH and the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team (DVERT), a 24-hour emergency response team comprising social service professionals that respond to high-risk domestic violence cases together with the Police.

While the public accounted for the largest share of those who reported cases to the NAVH, the rise in reports was driven largely by law enforcement agencies, social service agencies and the education sector. 

For example, from September 2024, police officers who respond to family violence cases that involve a child or a vulnerable adult have to notify the NAVH, so that NAVH staff can assess safety concerns and make the necessary referrals.

In 2025, 82% of the reports to the NAVH required follow-up action, such as further assessment, investigation or a referral to the MSF’s Protective Service or community agencies.

The number of incidents handled by DVERT more than doubled from 675 in 2024 to 1,439 in 2025, following its expansion islandwide by September 2024.

Dvert first started in April 2023, in areas such as Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang.

A key function of Dvert is issuing Emergency Orders to protect victims in high-risk situations, providing immediate protection, while safety measures are put in place.

Such situations include those involving weapons, sexual violence, serious threats or acts of violence.

These orders include the Domestic Exclusion Order to bar abusers from the home and the No Contact Order to prohibit abusers from contacting or visiting victims. Breaching an Emergency Order is an arrestable offence. 

A total of 1,151 Emergency Orders were issued in 2025, and about half were slapped on abusive husbands. Others who received such orders included parents, siblings or adult children who were abusive to their parents.

Preliminary data for the first half of 2026 showed a continued increase in new abuse cases across most groups, including spouses and vulnerable adults, compared to the same period in 2025.

Asked whether the Megan Khung case had led to greater public awareness and reporting of child abuse, an MSF spokesperson said it was one of several factors that may have raised awareness.

But she added that it could not attribute the rise in NAVH reports to any single case, as reporting trends are also shaped by greater public vigilance or more willingness to seek help.

Allkin’s Chui said that Megan’s death has sparked conversations about the role family members, neighbours, schools and the wider community play in ensuring children are safe, and the serious consequences of staying silent.

The social service agency has seen more family members raising concerns about a child in their family. It has also had more referrals from the NAVH about reports made by neighbours and members of the public.