Physical crimes on the rise in first half of 2025

More theft, molestation, rape cases, knife crimes compared with same period in 2024

- David Sun

The first six months of 2025 saw an increase in knife crimes, rape, molestation, and theft cases compared with the same period in 2024.

In their mid-year crime brief released on Aug 26, the police said physical crime rose in the first half of 2025, with 10,341 cases reported from January to June.

This is an increase of 5.4 percent from the 9,809 cases reported during the same period in 2024. Theft and molestation were among the top crimes of concern.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police said the first half of 2025 saw 75 knife-related incidents, up from 59 cases during the same period in 2024.

There were 131 knife-related incidents for the whole of 2024.

In March, a woman was charged after she allegedly used a chopper to attack someone on the first floor of People's Park Complex in Chinatown. Three men were injured.

There were also two reported murders in the first half of 2025, compared with three during the same period in 2024.

A man was charged in March with murdering his younger brother at a Housing Board flat in Boon Lay.

In June, a man was charged with murdering a woman believed to be his mother at an HDB flat in Fernvale Road.

On Aug 26, the police said: "Over the past three years, the number of knife-related crimes has remained relatively stable. The majority of cases involved culprits known to victims."