In the previous month, law enforcement recorded 232 incidents of crimes against women, with 88 percent categorized as assault-related and 12 percent as sexual offenses. Acting Commissioner Juki Fong Chew indicated that the rise in overall crime rates was partly due to a 39 percent increase in crimes against women and a 9 percent increase in crimes against children.
Chew reported that 31 percent of the crimes were domestic-related, involving offenders who were spouses or in defacto or partner relationships. A significant contributor to the surge in crimes against women was assaults causing actual bodily harm, with 181 reported cases—an increase of 65 compared to the same time last year.
For crimes against children, there were 153 reports, comprising 96 girls and 57 boys. Of these cases, 53 percent were classified as sexual offenses, 35 percent as assault-related, and 12 percent related to other types of offenses. The increase in crimes against children was primarily attributed to a rise in assaults causing actual bodily harm, from 25 to 45 cases.
Last month, a total of 1,992 crime cases were documented, with 171 of those stemming from previous years or months. Additionally, five police officers faced charges for various offenses, including assault causing actual bodily harm and unlawful possession of drugs. All officers have been placed on interdiction while awaiting the outcomes of their court proceedings.