Singapore’s president says rapists shouldn’t be spared the cane ‘just because they are 50’ amid debate on punishment

Under Singapore’s Penal Code, a convicted rapist can be jailed up to 20 years and fined – or caned, unless they’re aged 50 or older

Halimah Yacob noted a recent spate of ‘highly disturbing and sickening’ cases involving rapes of children in their own homes by their male relatives

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Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob said it was “ironic” that older rapists could escape the pain of a caning despite the lifetime of severe trauma they had caused. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:30pm, 19 Dec 2022

Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob on Monday suggested that rapists aged 50 or older should not be spared caning, in a Facebook post expressing her dismay at recent cases of children being raped in their own homes.

Under Singapore’s Penal Code, a convicted rapist can be jailed up to 20 years and fined or caned.

Those 50 years old and above cannot be sentenced to caning, but can be imprisoned longer in lieu of corporal punishment.

In September last year, MPs suggested that the age limit for caning be raised, with Murali Pillai of the People’s Action Party saying: “I don’t see why parliament should presume in favour of a repeat sex offender that he is not fit to be caned when he is clearly fit enough to commit such heinous acts.”

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said “there was no reason” to increase the age limit for caning, noting the “significantly lower” number of men over age 50 and arrested for serious offences that attract caning.

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