Two officers from the Serious Sexual Crime Branch share cases in which Forensic Medical Examinations helped bring suspects to justice.
By: Domnic Dass
The Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) is one of the pillars of our legal system, governing arrests, investigations and legal proceedings. On 5 February 2024, the Criminal Procedure (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2024 was passed in Parliament, introducing key amendments to the CPC, including a new legislative framework for Forensic Medical Examinations (FME).
The FME framework will allow for more effective criminal investigations by allowing the Police to require accused persons to undergo FMEs in relevant investigations, with appropriate safeguards. Police Life hears from two officers from the Criminal Investigation Department’s Serious Sexual Crime Branch (SSCB). Drawing on the challenging cases they’ve worked on, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohammad Amin Majid and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Yap Kai Jia explain the crucial role of FMEs in investigating sexual crime.
Can you explain what FMEs are and how they help officers to obtain crucial evidence?
FMEs are conducted to obtain forensic evidence such as blood samples or DNA swabs, particularly those pertaining to serious sexual crimes such as rape. Victims may be brought to the One-Stop Abuse Forensic Examination (OneSAFE) Centre or a hospital for examination by medical professionals to document injuries, take swabs, and collect evidence like clothing and hair samples. Timely examination is vital to preserve evidence and victims are briefed on procedures by medical professionals and Investigation Officers (IOs).
Can you share a case where an FME played a decisive role?
In 2019, I was the IO in charge of a case involving a victim who was attacked and raped at a forested area in Kranji. Following the incident, FME was conducted on the victim, revealing a male DNA profile. This was subsequently matched to that of the accused when he was arrested the next day. Even though he initially denied his involvement, the FME was pivotal in providing evidence that implicated him. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane.
How does the new FME framework assist IOs in sexual assault cases?
It further enhances our investigative procedures while ensuring victims’ rights and the pursuit of justice. With the new framework, accused persons in sexual assault cases can be required to undergo FME, which is an important component of the suite of tools that we employ, and particularly useful in sexual crimes where offenders often leave behind DNA evidence.
FME on victims will continue to require their consent. However, under exceptional circumstances, when the victim is assessed to be unable to give consent for the FME and delays in FME would jeopardise investigations, the Police can now proceed with the FME after making a considered assessment of the urgency of the FME procedure and the implications of not conducting the FME within a certain time for the investigations.
How are IOs trained to handle cases involving sexual crime?
Victim care is a key aspect of the Police’s procedures for handling cases of sexual assault. SSCB IOs undergo assessment and training to ensure that we’re always aware of the considerations of interacting with victims, and are able to support them with empathy and help them to feel safe during interviews.
When we interview victims, victim care officers will be present to offer emotional and practical support to those who consent, both as they recall their experiences and throughout the entire criminal justice process.
Can you share an example of how DNA evidence from an FME helped to solve a case?
In 2002, a case of rape on a 12-year-old girl was reported. An FME was conducted on the victim, and an unknown DNA sample was found at the crime scene. But we were unable to establish the accused’s identity from this sample and there were no other investigative leads at that time.
In 2014, the accused was arrested for theft. A blood sample was taken from him and sent for forensic analysis, and his DNA was a hit to the unknown DNA sample found at the crime scene in 2002. The timely FME from 12 years ago helped incriminate the accused, leading to a guilty plea and sparing the victim from a trial. He was sentenced to 16.5 years’ imprisonment and 18 strokes of the cane.
How important are FMEs in relation to other investigative tools such as fingerprint matching?
FME serves as a useful identification tool in solving cases. For example, it enables the Police to place a particular person at the crime scene. However, the value and effectiveness of forensic evidence varies based on the specific facts and circumstances of each investigation, and every investigative lead is important. The Police will rely on all available leads, such as CCTV footage, fingerprints, physical evidence, and eyewitnesses’ accounts, where available, to investigate and solve a case.
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