Minister urges review of child protection measures after 37-year-old man convicted of abusing two boys

By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Singapore’s Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Zaqy Mohamad, has called for stronger safeguards around informal activities involving children and young people at mosques following a sexual assault case involving two boys.

Zaqy said on August 18 that he was “deeply disturbed” by the case and expressed his concern for the children and their families.

A 37-year-old Singaporean man who had taken in two boys from a broken family while conducting religious lessons at a mosque was sentenced to 27 years and 10 months in prison and 24 strokes of the cane after being convicted of raping the younger boy and molesting the older one.

Zaqy said the case raised serious questions about how the abuse was able to take place within a mosque and whether warning signs could have been identified earlier.

He clarified that the offender was not a mosque staff member or volunteer and was not an Islamic religious teacher accredited under Singapore’s Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS). He was also not conducting a formal religious class organised or approved by the mosque.

However, Zaqy said these facts did not make the incident less serious because some of the interactions took place within mosque premises.

He said authorities must therefore examine whether more could have been done to identify potential concerns and protect children using mosque facilities.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said it was also reviewing the matter. It had already announced measures to strengthen mosque security, including patrols and closed-circuit television monitoring.

Zaqy said he had asked MUIS to conduct a further review of existing safeguards, particularly those covering informal activities and gatherings involving children and youths.

“Our mosques must remain open and welcoming, but open and welcoming must also mean safe,” he said.

Zaqy also urged parents and caregivers to remain attentive to the people their children interact with both online and offline. He encouraged parents to teach children to speak up if anyone makes them uncomfortable, asks them to keep secrets or crosses their personal boundaries.

MUIS and Zaqy said they were working with relevant organisations to ensure the affected family receives care and support.

Zaqy acknowledged the anger and concern surrounding the case, saying the Muslim community must be willing to examine what happened, ask difficult questions and learn from it.

He described the trust placed in mosques and religious teachers as an amanah, or responsibility, stressing that the safety of children must remain a priority.

Source: The Online Citizen