Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Singapore Police Force (SPF) Regional Forensic Child Interview Workshop 2024

Nearly 180 law enforcement officers from Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong SAR attended the opening ceremony of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and United States (US) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Child Forensic Interview Regional Workshop (CFIRW), which runs from 16 to 20 September 2024. The CFIRW aims to equip officers with specialised skills and establish a network of forensic child interviewers in the region. By focusing on advanced forensic interviewing techniques, the workshop will guide participants in conducting interviews that are both effective and trauma-sensitive, thereby enhancing the region’s capacity to combat the growing threat of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

This is the second collaboration between the SPF and US HSI to provide regional training platforms, following the inaugural Crimes Against Children Regional Forum held in Singapore in July 2023. The continued partnership reflects the shared effort to protect children in our region from the scourges of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State (MOS), Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development, and His Excellency Mr Jonathan Kaplan, Ambassador of the United States of America to Singapore, attended the opening ceremony of the CFIRW at the Police Cantonment Complex today. In her opening speech, MOS Sun reiterated Singapore’s commitment to protecting and supporting children, and stressed the importance of bilateral and regional cooperation in addressing the global challenges in the fight against child sexual exploitation.

Deputy Director CID, Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Yeo Yee Chuan said: “Effective forensic interviews with children are crucial to the successful investigation of child exploitation cases. These interviews enable police to collect accurate evidence to identify and prosecute perpetrators, while prioritizing the needs and welfare of child victims. The HSI-SPF Child Forensic Interview Regional Workshop 2024 will bring together foreign law enforcement agencies from the region and strengthen our investigative strategies and practices in the fight against the threat of child sexual exploitation and abuse.”