Distinguished Partners and Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. This event is to recognise your efforts and suggestions as we look forward to fully operationalise what we have been discussing on – the various ideas and methods in which we will adopt to better protect survivors of domestic violence.
Introduction
2. I’ll like to warmly welcome our partners from social service agencies, the Singapore Police Force, hospitals, friends and partners. It is my honour to be here with you to celebrate the milestones and also achievements of the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team (DVERT). We know that this is a round-the-clock service that provides immediate help to survivors of domestic violence.
Role of DVERT and Partners in the Domestic Violence Ecosystem
3. We have made significant progress in our fight against domestic violence in the past few years. You will recall that the Minister of State for Home Affairs Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and myself had co-chaired the multi-stakeholder Taskforce on Family Violence from 2020 to 2021. We actually started the process before COVID. We didn’t know that during COVID, enquiries on Family Violence would go up so I think the formation of the Taskforce was extremely timely. We consulted widely and many of you came forward. You were involved in the Taskforce and together, we identified various measures to better tackle domestic violence. Since 2021, we have been progressively implementing the Taskforce's recommendations. One of them was the introduction of DVERT, which is a key initiative providing 24/7 emergency response for high-risk domestic violence cases.
4. Previously, emergency response after hours was not available for all cases of domestic violence, except for cases involving children or vulnerable adults. But we know that there are many high-risk domestic violence cases with immediate safety concerns but they could not receive immediate help because we did not have a 24/7 service so there was a clear need for a 24/7 emergency social service response for such cases. Survivors not only expect to see the Police when they call 999, they also will be able to seek help from social service professionals. That is the key delta and the key change when we have DVERT.
5. MSF, together with the Police, launched the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team or DVERT in April 2023.
a. Now, when the police respond to a domestic violence incident and identify immediate safety issues, the police will inform MSF to activate DVERT.
b. DVERT officers would respond and be on-site or provide support via the phone for situations where the person causing harm is no longer at the site, to ensure the immediate safety of survivors.
c. For cases requiring immediate medical attention, survivors are taken to the hospital. For those requiring a temporary shelter, DVERT officers would place them in crisis shelters.
d. The DVERT officers would also refer the case to social service agencies to provide longer-term case management by social service agencies to address underlying issues.
6. Since its formation in April 2023 till July 2024, DVERT has responded to 307 cases. One such case involved a mother who was physically abused by both her son and her daughter. In this incident, the daughter assaulted her mother upon returning home. She punched, slapped, and even attempted to strangle her mum. The son had also previously abused his mother. DVERT swiftly responded by conducting immediate social assessment, immediate safety planning and exploring safe alternative care options due to the risk of domestic violence. As there were no safe alternative care options within the family circle, DVERT arranged an alternative placement, admitting the mother into a crisis shelter. The mother was then referred to a Protection Specialist Centre. Following DVERT's intervention and social service referral, the mother is now seeking Personal Protection Orders against both children. It’s a very sad case and this is one case amongst many. It illustrates the importance, the immediacy as well as the value of DVERT’s social intervention in addressing and mitigating immediate dangers posed to survivors of domestic violence.
7. The operationalisation and success of DVERT in handling such complex cases is a testament to the collaborative efforts of multiple agencies. As such, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all our partners – our dedicated professionals from the social service agencies, the Police Force, and hospitals for this significant achievement. Our collective efforts will thus form a seamless chain of support. This comprehensive approach ensures that survivors will receive quick and continuous support from the initial point of crisis through to ongoing care and violence prevention.
Announcement of the family violence-related amendments to the Women’s Charter
8. To complement the DVERT, we have made significant amendments to the Women's Charter. I know this is something that we are looking forward to because after we put in the amendments to the legislation, we must see it operationalised on the ground. Operationalisation will take place in January 2025. From January 2025,
a. Introduction of Emergency Orders: DVERT officers will be able to issue, or direct authorised persons to issue Emergency Orders at the scene. This will restrain persons causing harm from furthering their violence. The Emergency Order may also include a Domestic Exclusion Order, a Stay Away Order, a No Contact Order, or a combination of these orders. I think when we look at all these orders, we know that we are trying to plug the gaps to make sure that there is no way that the persons causing harm can cause further harm to our survivors. The Emergency Order and the accompanying orders thus provide immediate protection for survivors while we continue working with them and their families to ensure their safety in the long term.
b. Introduction of the Electronic Monitoring for high-risk persons causing harm: A very important second point is that starting from 2025, in exceptional cases, where the survivor has not taken steps to protect themselves despite breaches to a Personal Protection Order (or PPO), we are introducing the electronic monitoring for high-risk persons causing harm. This measure adds an extra layer of security for survivors in high-risk situations.
Conclusion
9. To conclude, please allow me to thank everyone in this room; every one of you who have contributed to this important work. Thank you for sharing your views with the Taskforce, developing the recommendations, to advocating for survivors and supporting persons causing harm, to working closely together on the implementation of all these initiatives so that we can better serve families who suffer from the scourge of domestic violence.
10. Families should be where members feel safe and supported. Domestic violence is not condoned in our society so thank you once again for your commitment and dedication to the cause. I am confident that together, we will be better able to keep our families safe and to help break the cycle of violence. Thank you very much.