152 322
LIFE&FAMILY
152
July14
H
igh rates of internet usage andmobile
telephone ownership combined with
the popularity of social media have
opened up huge opportunities to connect
with people near and far. It has also had
unintended consequences in creating a new
frontier for harassment, which previously
took the form of lewd telephone calls or
face-to-face slurs. Technology now provides
a convenient shield for perpetrators to hide
behind. We spoke with
Gloria James-
Civetta Advocates and Solicitors
about
new laws passed by Singapore’s Parliament
in March, which aim to protect people from
this insidious online crime.
“Standards of acceptable behaviour should be the
same in the physical world as the online sphere,”
said Singapore’s Law Minister K. Shanmugam as he
recently announced the
Protection from Harassment
Bill
– and it’s easy to agree. With input from advocacy,
welfare and community groups, the Bill seeks to
address cyber bullying, for which a 2012 Microsoft
survey found that Singapore ranked second out of 25
countries. Statistics such as these, along with high-
profile examples reported frequently by the media
highlight the problem. Here’s a brief overview of what
the Law includes.
•
Cyber harassment.
This is now an offence; it was
previously not specifically covered by any Act. An
example of cyber harassment is a classmate posting
nasty or hurtful comments about their peers on a
website.
•
Unlawful stalking.
This is defined as conduct that
causes harassment, alarmor distress to a victim, with
that intention on the part of the stalker. Examples
include attempting to make communication by any
means with the victim, or giving or sending material
to the victim.
•
Harassment and bullying
within and outside of
the workplace are now covered.
• Offences committed
outside Singapore
are
covered, if the overseas offender commits acts of
cyber stalking against a victim in Singapore.
In December last year, a 38-year-old Singaporean was
convicted of cyber stalking after pleading guilty to 31 counts
of intimidation over a six-year period. He received three
years in jail and a fine of $5,000 in a Singapore court for
the offences against US singer Leandra Ramm. He initially
contacted the young singer with promises to assist her career.
After she broke off contact, he started sending threatening
emails and phone messages which the sentencing judge
described as “vile, vicious and vulgar”.
For legal advice, contact
Gloria James-Civetta Advocates
and Solicitors
. 6337 0469 | gjclaw.com.sg
nobullying.com | cybersmart.gov.au
Dave Bredeson | Dreamstime.com
• Victims can sue for
damages
or apply to the Court for a
protection
order
. It’s advisable to retain evidence such as harassing emails
and text messages.
• The Act applies to
children
, and education about the legal
repercussions of cyber bullying will be rolled out in schools.