SINGAPORE, Nov 8 — The leading offences among young offenders in Singapore in 2023 were shoplifting, cheating, and sexual offences involving penetration, according to a new report by the country’s Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

The MSF’s Supporting Youth Rehabilitation Trends Report, released today, highlights trends in youth rehabilitation and crime, covering data from 2019 to 2023.

The report shows that 509 youth offenders, aged between 10 and 20, were involved in shoplifting, making it the most prevalent offence in 2023.

Cheating and related offences followed with 422 cases, mostly tied to scams and cybercrime.

Meanwhile, 250 youth were reported for sexual offences involving penetration.

According to Singapore daily The Straits Times, MSF said that the age group with the highest likelihood of offending were those aged 16 to 18, surpassing younger groups aged 10 to 15, as well as older youth aged 18 to 20.

In response, the government amended the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA), allowing cases involving offenders aged 16 to 18 to be handled by the Youth Court.

This change, set to take effect on January 1, 2025, is intended to provide age-appropriate rehabilitation, recognising that "these older youth offenders may lack the cognitive maturity to understand the seriousness of committing offences,” an MSF spokesman said to ST.

Currently, the Youth Court only handles cases for offenders under 16. Offenders aged 16 and above are tried as adults in the State or Community Courts unless they qualify for diversion.

The CYPA amendment will also raise the maximum age for detention in juvenile facilities to 21, to support extended rehabilitation orders lasting up to three years.

For more serious offences, such as drug trafficking, certain sexual crimes, and unlicensed moneylending, older youth offenders may still be tried in the State Courts to ensure public safety and crime deterrence, the MSF noted.

Overall, the CYPA amendment is expected to benefit around 50 youth offenders aged 16 to 18 by the end of 2025, expanding rehabilitation that targets their specific risks and needs.

According to ST, Singapore’s youth crime rate has remained relatively low, averaging 5.2 per 1,000 youths from 2019 to 2023. This is lower than New Zealand’s rate of 7.6 and higher than Japan’s at 2.8 per 1,000.

Notably, cheating and cyber-related offences saw a significant increase from 260 to 422 cases over this period, while crimes under the Computer Misuse Act rose from 53 to 195 cases.

The Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons (CESOW) Act offences, primarily involving possession of weapons such as knives, also increased from 92 to 133 cases.

Scams and cybercrime-related cheating offences are a growing concern, with a study by the police revealing that a rising number of young people are being recruited as money mules — facilitators who help criminals move money.

Between 2020 and 2022, nearly half (45 per cent) of investigated money mules were under 25 years old.

While youth offenders are increasingly completing rehabilitation programmes — achieving a steady 90 per cent completion rate in 2023 — reoffending rates have remained low.

Less than 10 per cent of those completing these programmes from 2019 to 2021 reoffended within two years.