Sex in public can get you in trouble

SINGAPORE - Couples who have sex in public risk breaking the law.

Criminal lawyers told The New Paper that as long as the act is visible to the public, the ones involved in the act could be prosecuted.

Said Mr Rajan Supramaniam, a criminal lawyer at Hilborne & Co: "They can be in love, or even have the intention to marry each other, but as long as they are in a public place, it may be considered illegal."

This is similar to people having sex in cars with the windows wound up - as long as someone sees it and makes a complaint, they could be in trouble.

But Mr Ravinderpal Singh, a criminal lawyer at Kalco Law, said: "It cannot be held to be an indecent act if it is not visible. As long as it's discreet and done behind 'closed doors', then it's okay."

Migrant worker groups, however, warned against stereotyping domestic workers.

Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics chief executive Bridget Tan said people should not stereotype domestic workers just because a "minority" is doing it.

"Having a relationship with another person is a natural thing. Whether they are going to have sex is a very private thing which I am not in the position to comment," she said.

"We can't expect them to behave differently because they are domestic workers," she said, about them dating at the beach.

On having sex in tents, she said: "We all know that there are Singaporeans who have been doing the same too."

Get The New Paper for more stories.