Stefanie Yuen Thio was interviewed in Lianhe Zaobao by Poh Lay Hoon, in an article explaining the new marital rape law.

The article spotlighted the recent landmark case where a man was jailed eight years and given six strokes of the cane after being convicted of marital rape – the first case of its kind since the marital rape law came into effect in 2020.

Stefanie spoke in her capacity as Chairperson of Singapore Her Empowerment (SHE), saying that she wouldn’t be surprised if rape in a marital setting was more common. She added that to the victims, shame and the fear of affecting the children and other family members would be factors holding women back from reporting unconsented sexual relations with their husbands. The perceived difficulty of proving rape is another factor.

Stefanie shared that victims could get themselves medically examined as soon as safely possible, to preserve evidence. In addition, it is important to educate couples on how to resolve conflict and pressures at home without resorting to violence.