Mr Devanantthan Tamilselvii believes there are cultural nuances that an organisation like his would be better able to understand. SINGAPORE – Local actress Vika (not her real name) thought that she was capable of protecting herself in relationships, having spoken up for issues such as mental health and domestic abuse for a decade. But in a recent relationship which has since ended, her ex-boyfriend would become upset when she took on romantic roles, wanting to have control over her decisions and demanding to know how she posed with her co-stars for promotional materials.
The last straw was when he became physically violent and punched her, resulting in fractures to her nose and orbital bone near her right eye. Vika was one of three individuals who shared their experiences of abuse at an online event organised by non-profit organisation Mental ACT on Oct 19 to raise awareness about intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV is defined as any behaviour within an intimate relationship that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm.
This includes acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviours, by both current and former spouses and partners. The number of new spousal violence cases in Singapore rose by 15 per cent from 1,632 in 2021 to 2,008 in 2023, according to a report released in September by the Ministry of Social and Family Development on domestic violence trends. Tackling such violence is a top priority for Mr Devanantthan Tami.