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There is an urgency to change the law to deter more paedophiles from committing sexual assaults on minors in their own homes. If you want to misbehave, and your skin is thick enough to commit such offences, then your skin is thick enough to take the strokes. If they are fit to commit crimes then surely they can take the caning, whether at 70 or 90 years old. The victims are not exempted from harm and have to suffer the consequences of these attacks for life, while the assailants can have special exemptions. Why are they more protected than the victims? Males in their 50s are still capable of overpowering someone. Why exempt them from punishment? Human rights should be automatically forfeited for certain crimes with long lasting impact… Stop valuing criminal lives above those of the victims. Support. Especially for fathers who sexually abuse their own children! That is the greatest betrayal of trust. I agree with caning rapists regardless of age until chemical castration is introduced as the latest punishment. To me, both types of punishments should be valid. Replace caning with mandatory chemical castration… and I would also push for the list of offenders to be made public. Don’t only look at the punishment, think about how some of these cases may have been prevented. Punishment is too late for the victim who will carry the trauma for life. Even 1,000 strokes on the criminal will not change that fact. Many of the cases have similar demographics — unstable income groups with criminal history, big families living in rental flats, divorcees with young female children living with stepfathers, etc. The Ministry of Social and Family Development can pay more attention to the vulnerable by conducting ad hoc house visits. In addition to their libido, and being physically able to offend, what other factors cause them to commit the crime? What is to prevent them from using an object or committing other forms of sexual abuse. Is it a lack of respect for women? Hatred? Is there a need to better educate boys and men? I am pretty sure that these crimes are under-reported due to fear and so-called “maintaining family respect and honour”. As a Singaporean, I disagree. We are moving backwards. Please move forward with human rights. Please stop enhancing violent punishment. Just sentence elderly rapists to longer jail terms, maybe 10-20 years, but do not cane them. Caning the rapist will not take away the pain, suffering and trauma the victim has to endure… Avenging a wrong in the name of justice does nothing for the victim. As bystanders, yes, we feel disgust and want the worst for the rapist. But this only satisfies our bloodlust, not the victim's pain. It would help if the rapist cannot repeat the violent act, thus chemical castration is best. Caning is not a good enough deterrent. I’m not against caning rapists, but what if due to the age of the rapist, the injury caused by caning takes his life? Isn’t that excessive in the word of the law? Do we want to have law and punishment meted out in a just manner or driven by emotion and ecstasy to see one punished?