Protection of sexually-exploited trafficked victims
s 18
Open ↗18.—(1) Where any person is charged with or convicted of an offence under Part 2 involving the sexual exploitation of a trafficked victim, the court hearing any matter or proceedings in relation to the charge or conviction —(a) in the case where the trafficked victim is a child, must hear the matter or proceedings in private; and[Act 25 of 2021 wef 01/04/2022] (b) in any other case, may order that the matter or proceedings (or any part of the matter or proceedings) be heard in private.[Act 25 of 2021 wef 01/04/2022] (2) No person may, in connection with any matter or proceedings mentioned in subsection (1) —(a) publish the name, address or photograph, or any other thing which is likely to lead to the identification, of the trafficked victim; (b) publish the name, address or photograph of any witness, or any evidence given by the witness, in the matter or proceedings, or any other thing relating to the witness, which is likely to lead to the identification of the trafficked victim; or (c) do any other act which is likely to lead to the identification of the trafficked victim. (3) The prohibition under subsection (2) applies regardless of whether the matter or proceedings is required or ordered to be heard in private under subsection (1).[Act 25 of 2021 wef 01/04/2022] (4) Any person who contravenes subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both. (5) Nothing in this section affects a court’s powers under section 7 of the State Courts Act 1970 or section 8 of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1969. (6) In this section, a reference to an offence under Part 2 includes a reference to an abetment of, or a conspiracy or an attempt to commit, the offence.