Caning in Singapore
Encyclopedia
Caning
is a widely used form of legal corporal punishment
in Singapore
. It can be divided into several contexts: judicial, military, school, reformatory/prison, and domestic/private.
Of these, judicial caning
, for which Singapore is best known, is the most severe. It is reserved for male criminals aged under 50, for a wide range of offences under the Criminal Procedure Code
. Caning is also a legal form of punishment for delinquent male members of the military (Singapore Armed Forces
-- SAF) and this is administered in the SAF Detention Barracks. Caning is also an official punishment in reform schools and as a prison disciplinary measure.
In a milder form, caning is used to punish male youths in many Singaporean schools for serious misbehaviour.
A much smaller cane or other implement is also used by some parents as punishment for their children of either sex. This is not outlawed in Singapore.
and Malaysia (both then part of British Malaya
) during the British colonial period. It was formally codified under the Straits Settlements Penal Code Ordinance IV.
In that era, offences punishable by caning were similar to those punishable by birching or flogging in England and Wales, and included:
Caning remained on the statute book after Malaysia declared independence from Britain, and likewise in Singapore after it ceased to be part of Malaysia. Subsequent legislation has been passed by the Singaporean Parliament
over the years to increase the minimum strokes an offender receives, and the number of crimes that may be punished with caning.
lay down the procedures governing caning, including:
Any male criminal, whether sentenced to caning or not, may also be caned in prison if he breaks prison rules.
allows caning to be ordered for over 30 offences, including hostage-taking, robbery
, gang robbery with murder
, drug use, vandalism, and rioting. Caning is also a mandatory punishment for certain offences such as rape
, drug trafficking
, illegal money-lending, and for visiting foreigners who overstay their visa by more than 90 days, a measure designed to deter illegal immigrant workers.
Contrary to what has sometimes been misreported, the use or importation of chewing gum is subject only to fines; it is not and has never been a caneable offence.
By 2007, this figure had doubled to 6,404 criminals sentenced to caning. Of these sentences, about 95% were actually implemented.
Caning takes place at several establishments around Singapore, notably Changi Prison
but also including Queenstown Remand Centre, where Michael P. Fay
was caned in 1994. Canings are also administered in the Drug Rehabilitation Centres.
cane four feet (1.2 metres) long and half an inch (1.27 cm) thick is used for prison and judicial canings. It is at about twice as thick as the canes used in the school and military contexts. The cane is soaked in water beforehand to make it heavier and more flexible. The Prisons Department denies that canes are soaked in brine
, but has said that the cane is treated with antiseptic
before use to prevent infection. A lighter cane is used for offenders aged under 18.
An inmate sentenced to caning receives no advance warning as to when he will be caned, and is notified only on the day his sentence is to be carried out. In the caning room, the inmate is ordered to strip naked and receives a medical examination by the prison doctor to check whether he is medically fit for caning, by measuring his blood pressure and other physical conditions. If the doctor gives the green light, the inmate then receives his caning, but if he is certified unfit for punishment, he is sent back to the court for his prison term to be increased instead. A prison official confirms with him the number of strokes he is to receive.
The inmate is then led to the A-shaped frame (called a "caning trestle
") and his wrists and ankles secured tightly to the frame by strong leather straps in such a way that he assumes a bent-over position on the frame at an angle of close to 90° at the hip, with his posterior
protruding. Protective padding is placed on his lower back to protect the vulnerable kidney
and lower spine
area from any mis-strokes so that only his buttocks are exposed to the cane. The officer administering the caning takes up position beside the frame and delivers the number of strokes specified in the sentence, at intervals of 10 to 15 seconds. He is required to put his full force into each stroke. The strokes are administered all in one caning session, unless the medical officer certifies that the inmate cannot receive any more strokes because of his condition, in which case the rest of the strokes are converted to additional prison time.
After the caning, the inmate is released from the frame and receives medical treatment. Antiseptic lotion (gentian violet) is applied and the wounds left to heal. Where a large number of strokes is given, there is long-term scarring of the buttocks. Those caned are not eligible to serve in the Singapore Armed Forces
as conscripts
if they have not already done so.
Inmates of Drug Rehabilitation Centres may be caned in the same way.
In 2008 the procedure was revised to introduce a review of each prison caning award by an independent external panel.
, a subordinate military court, or the officer in charge of a disciplinary barrack, may discipline a serviceman with a maximum of 24 strokes of the cane (with a maximum of 12 strokes per offence, 10 in the case of minors) for breaching certain military rules. In either case, the punishment must be confirmed by the Armed Forces Council before it can be administered. The minimum age for caning within the Armed Forces is 16 (now 16.5 de facto, since entry into the Armed Forces is restricted to those above that age).
Military corporal punishment is less severe than its civilian counterpart, designed not to cause undue bleeding or permanent scars. The offender wears a protective cloth so as not to cut the buttocks. Caning is mainly used on recalcitrant teenage conscripts. The cane used is 6.35 millimetres (1/4 inch) in diameter (half the thickness of the prison/judicial cane) though it is about the same length. This is similar to the cane used in secondary schools. However, the offender is bound in a bending position to an A-frame exactly as for judicial caning.
No statistics have been published as to how many military personnel are caned.
as he bends over a desk or chair.
The Ministry of Education
encourages schools to punish boys by caning for serious offences such as fighting, smoking, cheating, gangsterism, vandalism, defiance and truancy. Students may also be caned for repeated cases of more minor offences, such as being late repeatedly in a term. The punishment may be administered only by the Principal or Vice-Principal, or by a specially designated and trained Discipline Master. At most schools, caning comes after detention but before suspension in the hierarchy of penalties. Some schools use a demerit points system, whereby students receive a mandatory caning after accumulating a certain number of demerit points for a wide range of offences.
Under Ministry regulations, the punishment should not exceed a maximum of 6 strokes, and can only be administered on the palms or buttocks using a light rattan cane of about 4 feet long. However, the majority of the canings range from one to three very hard strokes, applied to the seat of the boy's trousers or shorts.
Canings in schools may be classified as:
School caning is a solemn and formal ceremory. Before the caning, the Discipline Master usually explains the student's offence to the audience. Next, a protective item (book or file) will be tucked into the boy's trouser waistband to protect the lower back from mis-strokes. He will be directed to bend over a table or a chair, with his buttocks pushed a little up and back. In this position, the boy will be caned across his buttocks, according to the number of strokes prescribed. He will normally experience superficial bruises and weals for some days after the punishment.
Certain schools have special practices for caning, such as making the student change into PE attire for the punishment. Some schools require the student to read out a public apology before receiving his strokes.
Boys of any age from 6 to 19 may be caned, but the majority of canings are of secondary school students aged 14–16 inclusive. The Ministry of Education recommends that the student receive counselling
before and/or after his caning.
Routine school canings are naturally not normally publicised, so cases only get reported in the press in rare special cases.
if the child is injured.
The Singapore domestic cane (for children, not to be confused with judicial cane):
A thin, rattan cane (~65 cm) with a plastic hook at the end, which comes in a variety of colours. They are available in neighbourhood shops selling household items, and is used for the purpose of disciplining children and adolescents at home. Each cane costs about 50 Singapore cents, with best sales during examination time.
Sometimes parents use other implements such as the handle of a feather-duster (made of rattan), rulers or even clothes hangers. The misbehaving child is usually caned on the thighs, calves, buttocks or palms. This type of caning usually leaves the child with cane marks which will fade within days.
According to a survey conducted by The Sunday Times (Singapore) in January 2009, out of the 100 parents surveyed, 57 said that caning was an acceptable form of punishment and they had used it on their children.
has condemned the practice of judicial caning in Singapore as "cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment". Also, it is regarded by some international observers as a violation of Article 1 in the United Nations Convention Against Torture
. However, Singapore is not signatory to the Convention.
Caning
Caning is a form of corporal punishment consisting of a number of hits with a single cane usually made of rattan, generally applied to the offender's bare or clothed buttocks or hand . Application of a cane to the knuckles or the shoulders has been much less common...
is a widely used form of legal corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It can be divided into several contexts: judicial, military, school, reformatory/prison, and domestic/private.
Of these, judicial caning
Judicial corporal punishment
Judicial corporal punishment refers to the infliction of corporal punishment as a result of a sentence by a court of law. The punishment can be flogging, caning, birching, whipping, or strapping...
, for which Singapore is best known, is the most severe. It is reserved for male criminals aged under 50, for a wide range of offences under the Criminal Procedure Code
Law of Singapore
The legal system of Singapore is based on the English common law system. Major areas of law – particularly administrative law, contract law, equity and trust law, property law and tort law – are largely judge-made, though certain aspects have now been modified to some extent by statutes...
. Caning is also a legal form of punishment for delinquent male members of the military (Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
-- SAF) and this is administered in the SAF Detention Barracks. Caning is also an official punishment in reform schools and as a prison disciplinary measure.
In a milder form, caning is used to punish male youths in many Singaporean schools for serious misbehaviour.
A much smaller cane or other implement is also used by some parents as punishment for their children of either sex. This is not outlawed in Singapore.
History
Caning, as a form of legally sanctioned corporal punishment for convicted criminals, was first introduced to SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia (both then part of British Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
) during the British colonial period. It was formally codified under the Straits Settlements Penal Code Ordinance IV.
In that era, offences punishable by caning were similar to those punishable by birching or flogging in England and Wales, and included:
- RobberyRobberyRobbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
- Aggravated forms of theftTheftIn common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
- Breaking and enteringBurglaryBurglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
a house - AssaultAssaultIn law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
with the intention of outraging the victim’s modestySexual abuseSexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester... - A second or subsequent conviction of rapeRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
- A second or subsequent offence relating to prostitutionProstitutionProstitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
- Living on or trading in prostitution.
Caning remained on the statute book after Malaysia declared independence from Britain, and likewise in Singapore after it ceased to be part of Malaysia. Subsequent legislation has been passed by the Singaporean Parliament
Parliament of Singapore
The Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
over the years to increase the minimum strokes an offender receives, and the number of crimes that may be punished with caning.
Legal basis
Sections 325 to 332 of the Criminal Procedure CodeLaw of Singapore
The legal system of Singapore is based on the English common law system. Major areas of law – particularly administrative law, contract law, equity and trust law, property law and tort law – are largely judge-made, though certain aspects have now been modified to some extent by statutes...
lay down the procedures governing caning, including:
- A convicted male criminal who is between the ages of 18 and 50 and has been certified medically fit by a medical officer may be subjected to judicial caning.
- He will receive a maximum of 24 strokes of the cane on any one occasion, irrespective of the total number of offences committed.
- If the offender is under 18 he may receive up to 10 strokes of the cane, but a lighter rattanRattanRattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...
cane will be used in this case. Boys under 16 may be sentenced to caning only by the High Court and not by district or juvenile courts. - The convict will not be caned if he has been sentenced to deathCapital punishment in SingaporeCapital punishment is a legal form of punishment in Singapore. The city-state had the highest per-capita execution rate in the world between 1994 and 1999, estimated by the United Nations to be 1.357 executions per hundred thousand of population during that period. The next highest was Turkmenistan...
. - The rattan cane shall not exceed half an inch (1.27 cm) in diameter and 1.2 metres in length.
Any male criminal, whether sentenced to caning or not, may also be caned in prison if he breaks prison rules.
Offences punishable by caning
Singaporean lawLaw of Singapore
The legal system of Singapore is based on the English common law system. Major areas of law – particularly administrative law, contract law, equity and trust law, property law and tort law – are largely judge-made, though certain aspects have now been modified to some extent by statutes...
allows caning to be ordered for over 30 offences, including hostage-taking, robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
, gang robbery with murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, drug use, vandalism, and rioting. Caning is also a mandatory punishment for certain offences such as rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, drug trafficking
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
, illegal money-lending, and for visiting foreigners who overstay their visa by more than 90 days, a measure designed to deter illegal immigrant workers.
Contrary to what has sometimes been misreported, the use or importation of chewing gum is subject only to fines; it is not and has never been a caneable offence.
Statistics
In 1993 the number of criminals caned was 3,244.By 2007, this figure had doubled to 6,404 criminals sentenced to caning. Of these sentences, about 95% were actually implemented.
Caning takes place at several establishments around Singapore, notably Changi Prison
Changi Prison
Changi Prison is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore.-First prison and POW camp:...
but also including Queenstown Remand Centre, where Michael P. Fay
Michael P. Fay
Michael Peter Fay is an American who briefly shot to international notoriety when he was sentenced to caning in Singapore as an 18-year-old in 1994 for theft and vandalism...
was caned in 1994. Canings are also administered in the Drug Rehabilitation Centres.
The cane
A rattanRattan
Rattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...
cane four feet (1.2 metres) long and half an inch (1.27 cm) thick is used for prison and judicial canings. It is at about twice as thick as the canes used in the school and military contexts. The cane is soaked in water beforehand to make it heavier and more flexible. The Prisons Department denies that canes are soaked in brine
Brine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
, but has said that the cane is treated with antiseptic
Antiseptic
Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...
before use to prevent infection. A lighter cane is used for offenders aged under 18.
Administration procedure
Caning is in practice always ordered in addition to a jail sentence and never as a punishment by itself. It is administered in an enclosed area in the prison, out of view of the public and other inmates. Those present are limited to the inmate, prison wardens, medical officers, the caning officer and sometimes high-ranking prison officials to witness the punishment.An inmate sentenced to caning receives no advance warning as to when he will be caned, and is notified only on the day his sentence is to be carried out. In the caning room, the inmate is ordered to strip naked and receives a medical examination by the prison doctor to check whether he is medically fit for caning, by measuring his blood pressure and other physical conditions. If the doctor gives the green light, the inmate then receives his caning, but if he is certified unfit for punishment, he is sent back to the court for his prison term to be increased instead. A prison official confirms with him the number of strokes he is to receive.
The inmate is then led to the A-shaped frame (called a "caning trestle
Trestle
A trestle is a rigid frame used as a support, especially referring to a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by such frames. In the context of trestle bridges, each supporting frame is generally referred to as a bent...
") and his wrists and ankles secured tightly to the frame by strong leather straps in such a way that he assumes a bent-over position on the frame at an angle of close to 90° at the hip, with his posterior
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
protruding. Protective padding is placed on his lower back to protect the vulnerable kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
and lower spine
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
area from any mis-strokes so that only his buttocks are exposed to the cane. The officer administering the caning takes up position beside the frame and delivers the number of strokes specified in the sentence, at intervals of 10 to 15 seconds. He is required to put his full force into each stroke. The strokes are administered all in one caning session, unless the medical officer certifies that the inmate cannot receive any more strokes because of his condition, in which case the rest of the strokes are converted to additional prison time.
Medical treatment and the effects
The immediate physical effects when the cane comes into contact have been exaggerated in some popular accounts; nevertheless, some physical damage may be inflicted, depending on the number of strokes. Michael P. Fay, a recipient of four strokes, said: "There was some blood. I mean, let's not exaggerate, and let's not say a few drops or that the blood was gushing out. It was in between the two. It's like a bloody nose." More profuse bleeding may, however, occur in the case of a larger number of strokes.After the caning, the inmate is released from the frame and receives medical treatment. Antiseptic lotion (gentian violet) is applied and the wounds left to heal. Where a large number of strokes is given, there is long-term scarring of the buttocks. Those caned are not eligible to serve in the Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
as conscripts
National Service in Singapore
Conscription in Singapore, called National Service , requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enrol in the military...
if they have not already done so.
Notable cases
- American Michael P. FayMichael P. FayMichael Peter Fay is an American who briefly shot to international notoriety when he was sentenced to caning in Singapore as an 18-year-old in 1994 for theft and vandalism...
, whose conviction for vandalism and sentence of 6 strokes of the cane attracted worldwide publicity and sparked off a minor diplomatic crisis between Singapore and the United States. The Singaporean government reduced Fay's sentence from six to four strokes, and he was caned on 5 May 1994.
- Dickson Tan Yong Wen, because of an administrative error, received 3 more strokes than he was sentenced to. Tan was sentenced on 28 February 2007 to a total of 9 months in jail and 5 strokes of the cane for two offences involving abetting an illegal moneylender to harass a debtor. He received 8 strokes on 29 March 2007. Tan sought S$3 million from the government in compensation, but this was rejected. He did receive some compensation after negotiations, but the amount was kept secret.
- Swiss national Oliver FrickerOliver FrickerOliver Fricker is the second high-profile foreigner since 1994 to be sentenced to caning for vandalism in Singapore. On 25 June 2010, he was sentenced to five months' jail and three strokes of the cane under the Vandalism Act and Protected Areas and Protected Places Act...
, sentenced on 25 June 2010 to 5 months' jail and 3 strokes of the cane for breaking into the SMRT TrainsSMRT TrainsSMRT Trains Limited is a rail operator in Singapore and a wholly owned subsidiary of SMRT Corporation. Then known as Mass Rapid Transit Corporation when it was incorporated on 6 August 1987, it was renamed as Singapore MRT Limited before taking on its current name, SMRT Trains, in the year...
Changi DepotChangi DepotChangi Depot is located on the Mass Rapid Transit near Koh Sek Lim Road, Singapore.Changi Depot comprises a train yard, which can hold a capacity of 35 trains and has an area of 250,000 square metres. The depot is also used for train inspection for trains on the North South Line and East West Line...
and vandalizing an MRTMass Rapid Transit (Singapore)The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...
train by spraypainting it.
- Two TaiwaneseTaiwaneseTaiwanese may refer to:* things of or pertaining to the current Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan* things of or pertaining to the island of Taiwan* Taiwanese people, residents of Taiwan or people of Taiwanese descent...
nationals, Su Wei Ying and Wu Wei Chun, were sentenced in September 2010 to 21 and 24 months' jail respectively, and both received 15 strokes of the cane for loansharking offences. Another Taiwanese national, Chen Ci Fan, was sentenced in January 2011 to 46 months' jail and 6 strokes of the cane, also in connection with loansharking. Representative of Taiwan to Singapore Vanessa Shih (史亞平) said her staff had visited them in jail and informed their family. She urged Taiwanese to abide by Singapore law while in the city-state.
Exemptions
None of the following may be sentenced to caning:- Women
- Men sentenced to death
- Men above 50
- Anyone who is found to be medically unfit for caning
Prison caning
Under the Prisons Act, prison superintendents may impose corporal punishment not exceeding 12 strokes of the cane for aggravated prison offences. This punishment can be imposed after due inquiry at a "mini-court" inside the prison, during which the prisoner is given an opportunity to hear the charge and evidence against him and to present his defence. The Prisons Director must approve the punishment before it can be carried out. It is administered in the same manner as for judicial caning.Inmates of Drug Rehabilitation Centres may be caned in the same way.
In 2008 the procedure was revised to introduce a review of each prison caning award by an independent external panel.
Military caning
In the Singapore Armed ForcesSingapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
, a subordinate military court, or the officer in charge of a disciplinary barrack, may discipline a serviceman with a maximum of 24 strokes of the cane (with a maximum of 12 strokes per offence, 10 in the case of minors) for breaching certain military rules. In either case, the punishment must be confirmed by the Armed Forces Council before it can be administered. The minimum age for caning within the Armed Forces is 16 (now 16.5 de facto, since entry into the Armed Forces is restricted to those above that age).
Military corporal punishment is less severe than its civilian counterpart, designed not to cause undue bleeding or permanent scars. The offender wears a protective cloth so as not to cut the buttocks. Caning is mainly used on recalcitrant teenage conscripts. The cane used is 6.35 millimetres (1/4 inch) in diameter (half the thickness of the prison/judicial cane) though it is about the same length. This is similar to the cane used in secondary schools. However, the offender is bound in a bending position to an A-frame exactly as for judicial caning.
No statistics have been published as to how many military personnel are caned.
School caning
Caning is also used as a form of corporal punishment in primary and, especially, secondary schools, and also in one or two post-secondary colleges, to maintain strict discipline in school. This is applicable only to male students: it is illegal to cane girls. The punishment is administered formally along traditional British lines, typically in the form of a predetermined number of vigorous cuts across the seat of the student's trousersButtocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
as he bends over a desk or chair.
The Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Education is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to education in Singapore.-Statutory boards:...
encourages schools to punish boys by caning for serious offences such as fighting, smoking, cheating, gangsterism, vandalism, defiance and truancy. Students may also be caned for repeated cases of more minor offences, such as being late repeatedly in a term. The punishment may be administered only by the Principal or Vice-Principal, or by a specially designated and trained Discipline Master. At most schools, caning comes after detention but before suspension in the hierarchy of penalties. Some schools use a demerit points system, whereby students receive a mandatory caning after accumulating a certain number of demerit points for a wide range of offences.
Under Ministry regulations, the punishment should not exceed a maximum of 6 strokes, and can only be administered on the palms or buttocks using a light rattan cane of about 4 feet long. However, the majority of the canings range from one to three very hard strokes, applied to the seat of the boy's trousers or shorts.
Canings in schools may be classified as:
- Private caning: Boy is caned in the principal's office
- Class caning: Boy is caned in front of his class
- Public caning: Boy is caned on stage during assembly in front of the whole school population, to serve as a warning to potential offenders as well as to shame the student. This is usually reserved for serious offences committed like fighting, smoking or vandalism.
School caning is a solemn and formal ceremory. Before the caning, the Discipline Master usually explains the student's offence to the audience. Next, a protective item (book or file) will be tucked into the boy's trouser waistband to protect the lower back from mis-strokes. He will be directed to bend over a table or a chair, with his buttocks pushed a little up and back. In this position, the boy will be caned across his buttocks, according to the number of strokes prescribed. He will normally experience superficial bruises and weals for some days after the punishment.
Certain schools have special practices for caning, such as making the student change into PE attire for the punishment. Some schools require the student to read out a public apology before receiving his strokes.
Boys of any age from 6 to 19 may be caned, but the majority of canings are of secondary school students aged 14–16 inclusive. The Ministry of Education recommends that the student receive counselling
School counselor
A school counselor is a counselor and an educator who works in elementary, middle, and high schools to provide academic, career, college access, and personal/social competencies to K-12 students...
before and/or after his caning.
Routine school canings are naturally not normally publicised, so cases only get reported in the press in rare special cases.
Parental caning
Caning is used as a form of punishment in the home for children (both boys and girls) and is usually meted out by their parents, the most common offences being disobedience and lying. This form of punishment is legal in Singapore, but not particularly encouraged by the authorities, and parents are likely to be charged with child abuseChild abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
if the child is injured.
The Singapore domestic cane (for children, not to be confused with judicial cane):
A thin, rattan cane (~65 cm) with a plastic hook at the end, which comes in a variety of colours. They are available in neighbourhood shops selling household items, and is used for the purpose of disciplining children and adolescents at home. Each cane costs about 50 Singapore cents, with best sales during examination time.
Sometimes parents use other implements such as the handle of a feather-duster (made of rattan), rulers or even clothes hangers. The misbehaving child is usually caned on the thighs, calves, buttocks or palms. This type of caning usually leaves the child with cane marks which will fade within days.
According to a survey conducted by The Sunday Times (Singapore) in January 2009, out of the 100 parents surveyed, 57 said that caning was an acceptable form of punishment and they had used it on their children.
Objections to corporal punishment
Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
has condemned the practice of judicial caning in Singapore as "cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment". Also, it is regarded by some international observers as a violation of Article 1 in the United Nations Convention Against Torture
United Nations Convention Against Torture
The United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an international human rights instrument, under the review of the United Nations, that aims to prevent torture around the world....
. However, Singapore is not signatory to the Convention.
Media
- Sān Gè Hăo Rén (Three Good People; Simplified Chinese: 3个好人) (2005) - a Singaporean film by Jack NeoJack NeoJack Neo Chee Keong , PBM, credited as Jack Neo on screen, is a Chinese Singaporean film and television actor, host and director...
which portrays the lives of three convicts in prison. It also reflects the social stigma towards ex-convicts. A judicial caning scene was featured in the film in which one of the three convicts (played by Henry ThiaHenry ThiaHenry Thia is a Singaporean actor who is probably best known for his roles in Money No Enough and Police & Thief as Hui and Georgie Gan respectively...
) receives his caning sentence of 6 strokes. The scene is not featured explicitly and only the audio is heard in that scene instead of visual images. - Xiăo Hái Bú Bèn Èr (I Not Stupid TooI Not Stupid TooI Not Stupid Too is a 2006 Singaporean film and the sequel to the 2002 film, I Not Stupid. A satirical comedy, I Not Stupid Too portrays the lives, struggles and adventures of three Singaporean youths—15-year-old Tom, his 8-year-old brother Jerry and their 15-year-old friend Chengcai—who have a...
) or in correct English translation Children are Not Stupid Part Two; Simplified Chinese: 小孩不笨2) (2006) - a Singaporean film by Jack NeoJack NeoJack Neo Chee Keong , PBM, credited as Jack Neo on screen, is a Chinese Singaporean film and television actor, host and director...
which reflects the life of an ordinary Singaporean teenager in school and with his parents. One of the main characters, Tom Yeo (played by Shawn Lee), is publicly caned in school for fighting with his teacher. The caning scene is graphically portrayed, with the young man bending over a desk on stage in the school hall to receive three very hard strokes across the seat of his trousers in front of the assembled student body. This faithfully reproduced the procedure used in real life at the school where the scene was filmed, Presbyterian High SchoolPresbyterian High SchoolPresbyterian High School is a government-aided co-ed missionary secondary school in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. It has affiliations with Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School, Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School, Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School, Saint Andrew's Junior College, Ang Mo Kio...
. However, it should be noted that in actual fact, the offender rarely screams, and a protective item will be placed to protect his spine in case of mis-trokes. The public caning issue sparked off a debate in which it became apparent that some members of the Singaporean public did not realise that corporal punishment is widely used in secondary schools. Many seemed pleased to discover this, and letters in local newspapers suggested that the caning of errant schoolboys has wide support. - Shí Sān Biān (The HomecomingThe Homecoming (TV Series)The Homecoming is a Singaporean Chinese TV drama series telecast on MediaCorp TV Channel 8. It made its debut on 3 April 2007 and ended its run on 30 April 2007...
; Simplified Chinese： 十三鞭) (2007) - a MediacorpMediaCorpMedia Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
television production. The Chinese title of the TV series translates as "Thirteen Strokes". In the TV series, four men were convicted of arson in their youth and sentenced to imprisonment and 3 strokes of caning each. One of them (played by Rayson TanRayson TanRayson Tan is a Singaporean MediaCorp actor.Before joining MediaCorp, Tan worked as a flight attendant with Singapore Airlines. In 1990, he emerged as the 2nd Runner-Up in Singapore's Star Search talent competition...
) received an extra stroke of caning, supposedly for being the mastermind. Several years later when he becomes a successful lawyer, he sets off to find out who betrayed him and takes his revenge. The caning scene is featured in one of the episodes.
Literature
- The Caning of Michael Fay: The Inside Story by a Singaporean (1994) - a documentary book by Gopal BarathamGopal BarathamGopal Baratham was a Singaporean author and neurosurgeon. He was known for his frank style and his ability to write about topics that were often considered controversial in the conservative city-state.-Life:...
published in the wake of the controversial caning of Michael P. FayMichael P. FayMichael Peter Fay is an American who briefly shot to international notoriety when he was sentenced to caning in Singapore as an 18-year-old in 1994 for theft and vandalism...
. It concentrates on the personal aspects, the punishment and the sociology of caning in Singapore. The book includes some descriptions of caning and photographs of its results, as well as two personal interviews with men who had been caned before.
See also
- Caning in MalaysiaCaning in MalaysiaCaning is form of corporal punishment used in Malaysia. Judicial caning, ordered as part of a criminal sentence imposed by a civil court on a male offender, is the most severe form of caning used in Malaysia and is always combined with a prison sentence for adult offenders.A much less severe form...
- Judicial corporal punishmentJudicial corporal punishmentJudicial corporal punishment refers to the infliction of corporal punishment as a result of a sentence by a court of law. The punishment can be flogging, caning, birching, whipping, or strapping...
- School corporal punishment
- CaningCaningCaning is a form of corporal punishment consisting of a number of hits with a single cane usually made of rattan, generally applied to the offender's bare or clothed buttocks or hand . Application of a cane to the knuckles or the shoulders has been much less common...