More than 400 cases of domestic violence against women over the age of 50 were reported per year for the past three years.

This was revealed by Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee who was speaking in Parliament on Oct. 2.

Lee was responding to a question from MP Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC), who asked about domestic violence cases against women for the past three years, and what the MSF was doing to help them.

According to Lee (the Minister), 480 applications for Personal Protection Orders were made in 2014 by women above the age of 50. In 2015, it was 465, and in 2016, there were 432.

Lee added that the Family Justice Courts received an average of 2,800 applications for PPOs per year for the past three years. 75% of them were made by women.

MSF campaigns against domestic violence

Lee also outlined the steps that the Ministry had taken to combat the problem. Last year, the MSF launched the Break the Silence/Against Family Violence campaign against family violence that focused on equipping bystanders to safely step in and intervene when necessary. It also raised awareness of the problem through social media and community road shows. Said Lee:

"Such initiatives deepen the awareness of family violence, and enable more people to break the silence and reach out to seek help for those affected."

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Besides the campaign, the National Family Violence Networking System was established more than 20 years ago for victims to be assisted by other programs like Family Service Centres and Family Violence Specialist Centres. Lee added that a strong partnership between government agencies and community organisations was important to ensure victims promptly receive the help they need.

Don't suffer in silence

However, the biggest problem that the MSF might face were those victims who "suffer in silence", as they fear the public embarrassment and the family tensions that would result if they reported the matter to the authorities.

According to Lee, a survey conducted by the MSF in Jan. 2016 found that about 40% of respondents were hesitant about reporting domestic violence cases, as they felt it was a private matter and feared it would break up the family. Also, more than a third of respondents were unsure what constituted domestic violence, and where they could get help. Said Lee:

"So it is an invisible problem. But family members, relatives, neighbours, colleagues and friends can help to spot what would otherwise be an invisible problem and help alert the many touchpoints that are available, to allow us to intervene."

If you or a family member are suffering from domestic violence, you can call the 24-hour SOS hotline at 1800-221-4444 or refer to the MSF website (at this link) for additional information.

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Top image from Gov.sg's YouTube channel.