Coronavirus: Task force aims to boost support for spouses facing abuse at home

The inter-agency task force addressing violence within families is looking to strengthen support for spouses facing abuse at home, especially amid the extended circuit breaker period.

In a joint statement yesterday, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the task force is aware that individuals and families may experience more stress during this period, which could lead to violence.

It urged those experiencing family violence to seek help via hotlines run by MSF and its partners, and encouraged family members and members of the public to report cases of family violence.

"Your prompt action may save lives," the ministries said.

Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee yesterday also addressed the issue in the light of the Covid-19 outbreak.

He said in a Facebook post that in the past two weeks or so, MSF has received more referrals and inquiries related to domestic conflicts than before the start of the circuit breaker period. This increase could be due to heightened vigilance and reporting, as more members of the public are aware of the risk of domestic violence, he added.

MSF said it got 14 per cent more inquiries in the first two weeks of the circuit breaker period compared with the two weeks prior.

The family violence specialist centres and Pave Integrated Services for Individual and Family Protection had 37 per cent more inquiries over the same period. These were related to tensions within the family, conflicts and disputes, including thos,e with no violence.

The task force held its first meeting via video conferencing yesterday. Formed in February, it is co-chaired by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Sun Xueling and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim. It aims to increase public awareness of family violence and to come up with initiatives for victims.

For help with issues related to family violence, here are the hotlines run by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and community partners:

• Pave Integrated Services for Individual and Family Protection Specialist Centre: 6555-0390

• Trans Safe Centre: 6449-9088

• Project Start: 6476-1482

• Big Love Child Protection Specialist Centre: 6445-0400

• Heart @ Fei Yue Child Protection Specialist Centre: 6819-9170

• ComCare hotline: 1800-222-0000

• National Care hotline: 1800-202-6868

In the coming months, it will study the challenges faced by groups experiencing violence, and identify ways that the Government and community partners can empower victims and perpetrators alike to break the cycle of violence.

It plans to consult social service agencies and non-governmental organisations to identify areas for improvement, and develop initiatives to better support victims.

MHA and the police will also examine how to better support victims when their cases go into the criminal justice system. This could involve strengthening operational processes and enhancing protocols between the courts, social service agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that victims receive seamless and timely support.