More power for emergency response team to tackle family violence

Officers can stop perpetrators from committing further violence by issuing emergency orders

- Syarafana Shafeeq

To better protect victims of family violence, officers from a 24-hour emergency response team will soon be given the power to issue emergency orders at the scene of high-risk domestic cases, which will immediately stop perpetrators from committing further violence.

An emergency order may include prohibiting the perpetrator from being in the home of and places frequented by the victim, as well as from visiting or contacting the victim.

Amendments to the Women's Charter will take effect from January 2025 and will include the electronic monitoring of high-risk domestic violence perpetrators in some cases where a victim's personal protection order (PPO) is breached.

On Nov 18, Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling announced the date that the changes will take effect at an appreciation event for partners of the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team (DVERT).

DVERT was one of 16 recommendations made by the Taskforce on Family Violence in 2021. It was rolled out in phases from April 2023, and, till July 2024, has responded to 307 cases referred by the police.

Most of these cases relate to spousal violence, with physical abuse being the most common type of abuse, Ms Sun said.