Koufu staff trained to spot customers who may be victims of domestic abuse

Foodcourt staff may be doing more than just selling or serving food; some have now been trained to spot signs of abuse.

- Theresa Tan

In July, 77 foodcourt managers from Koufu, one of Singapore's largest foodcourt operators, were trained by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to detect and report family violence.

They are the latest group in the community to receive such training, amid a rise in domestic violence cases in the past few years.

Since 2020, more than 11,000 people in various sectors, such as pre-school teachers, healthcare workers, as well as retail staff and pharmacists from Unity Pharmacy, have been trained in the fight against family violence.

At the launch of the ministry's domestic violence public awareness campaign held at Ngee Ann Polytechnic on Aug 26, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming said Koufu staff act as "eyes and ears" on the ground to spot and report abuse.

He urged more companies, schools, community partners and members of the public to help detect and prevent abuse, as the MSF saw a rise in reported abuse cases with low to moderate risks between 2021 and 2023.

He said: "Domestic violence is a complex issue and requires a whole-of-society effort to address."