PART XI
OFFENCES AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS
140. —(1) Any person who —
(a) sells, lets for hire or otherwise disposes of or buys or hires or otherwise obtains possession of any woman or girl with intent that she shall be employed or used for the purpose of prostitution either within or without Singapore, or knowing or having reason to believe that she will be so employed or used;
(b) procures any woman or girl to have either within or without Singapore carnal connection except by way of marriage with any male person or for the purpose of prostitution either within or without Singapore;
(c) by threats or intimidation procures any woman or girl to have carnal connection except by way of marriage with any male person either within or without Singapore;
(d) brings into Singapore, receives or harbours any woman or girl knowing or having reason to believe that she has been procured for the purpose of having carnal connection except by way of marriage with any male person or for the purpose of prostitution either within or without Singapore and with intent to aid such purpose;
(e) knowing or having reason to believe that any woman or girl has been procured by threats or intimidation for the purpose of having carnal connection except by way of marriage with any male person, either within or without Singapore, receives or harbours her with intent to aid such purpose;
(f) knowing or having reason to believe that any woman or girl has been brought into Singapore in breach of section 142 or has been sold or purchased in breach of paragraph (a) receives or harbours her with intent that she may be employed or used for the purpose of prostitution either within or without Singapore;
(g) detains any woman or girl against her will on any premises with the intention that she shall have carnal connection except by way of marriage with any male person, or detains any woman or girl against her will in a brothel;
(h) detains any woman or girl in any place against her will with intent that she may be employed or used for the purpose of prostitution or for any unlawful or immoral purpose;
(i) has carnal connection with any girl below the age of 16 years except by way of marriage; or
(j) attempts to do any act in contravention of this section,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years and shall also be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
[26/80]
(2) Any male person who is convicted of a second or subsequent offence under subsection (1)(a), (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f) shall, in addition to any term of imprisonment awarded in respect of such offence, be liable to caning.
[26/80]
(3) For the purposes of this section, it shall be presumed until the contrary is proved that —
(a) a person who takes or causes to be taken into a brothel any woman or girl has disposed of her with the intent or knowledge mentioned in subsection (1)(a);
(b) a person who receives any woman or girl into a brothel has obtained possession of her with the intent or knowledge mentioned in subsection (1)(a);
(c) a person has detained a woman or girl in any brothel or place against her will if, with intent to compel or induce her to remain therein, that person —
(i) withholds from that woman or girl any wearing apparel or any other property belonging to her or any wearing apparel commonly or last used by her;
(ii) where wearing apparel or any other property has been lent or hired out or supplied to that woman or girl, threatens her with legal proceedings if she takes away such wearing apparel or property; or
(iii) threatens that woman or girl with legal proceedings for the recovery of any debt or alleged debt or uses any other threat whatsoever.
(4) Subject to subsection (5) and notwithstanding anything in section 79 of the Penal Code (Cap. 224), a reasonable mistake as to the age of a girl shall not be a defence to a charge of an offence under subsection (1)(i).
[51/2007]
(5) In the case of a man who at the time of the alleged offence was below the age of 21 years, the presence of a reasonable mistaken belief that the girl was of or above the age of 16 years shall be a valid defence to a charge of an offence under subsection (1)(i), provided that at the time of the offence, he has not previously been charged in court for an offence under subsection (1)(i), or section 376A, 376B, 376C or 376E of the Penal Code, or section 7 of the Children and Young Persons Act (Cap. 38).[51/2007]
Traffic in women and girls
141. —(1) Any person who buys, sells, procures, traffics in, or brings into or takes out of Singapore for the purpose of such traffic, and whether or not for the purpose of present or subsequent prostitution, any woman or girl, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years and shall also be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
(2) No person shall be charged with an offence under this section if he satisfies the Director that the woman or girl brought into or taken out of Singapore by him or intended to be brought into or taken out of Singapore by him was so brought into or taken out of Singapore or is intended to be so brought into or taken out of Singapore for the purpose of her marriage or adoption and that such marriage or adoption can be solemnized or made and has been or will be solemnized or made under the laws and customs for the time being in force in Singapore.
Importation of woman or girl by false pretences
142. Any person who by or under false pretence, false representation or fraudulent or deceitful means made or used either within or without Singapore brings into, or takes out of, or assists in bringing into, or assists in taking out of, Singapore any woman or girl —
(a) with intent that she shall be employed or used for the purpose of prostitution either within or without Singapore;
(b) knowing or having reason to believe that she will be so employed or used; or
(c) whether or not for the purpose of present or future prostitution,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years and shall also be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000.[26/80]
Permitting girl below the age of 16 to use premises for sexual penetration
143. Any person who is the owner or occupier of any premises, or who has, or acts or assists in, the management or control of any premises, induces or knowingly permits a girl below the age of 16 years to resort to or be on those premises for the purpose of engaging in sexual penetration except by way of marriage with any male person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both. [26/80;51/2007]
Permitting mental defective to use premises for sexual penetration
144. —(1) Subject to subsection (2), any person who is the owner or occupier of any premises or who has, or acts or assists in, the management or control of any premises, induces or knowingly permits a woman who is a mental defective to resort to or be on those premises for the purpose of engaging in sexual penetration except by way of marriage with any male person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both.[26/80;51/2007]
(2) A person shall not be guilty of an offence under this section because he induces or knowingly permits a mental defective to resort to or be on any premises for the purpose mentioned, if he does not know and has no reason to suspect her to be a mental defective.[26/80]