Singapore’s parliament passed a law on Monday that could jail “dangerous” sex offenders and violent criminals indefinitely.
The “Sentence for Enhanced Public Protection” (SEPP) aims to keep convicts who show signs that they might re-offend behind bars, even after their jail terms have ended.
The legislation will apply to offenders convicted of serious violent or sexual offences, such as culpable homicide, rape and sex with minors.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam told parliament that “with the SEPP, there can be a more calibrated approach to better protect society”.
Singapore has tough laws for even minor offences, such as vandalism, which can be punished by caning. It has a homicide rate of just 0.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to UN data, among the world’s lowest.