Can This Painful Penalty Slow the Scam Surge?
set an example: to do something that influences how others behave, either by showing good behavior or by giving a strong punishment that warns others
Scams now make up 60% of all crimes in the country, and the government has decided it is time to get tough. Under a new law, scammers can now receive between six and twenty four strokes with a cane. It is an extreme punishment that is banned in many parts of the world. Offenders are stripped naked and tied to a rack while a trained officer uses a 1.2 meter rattan cane. The pain is excruciating and can leave permanent scars. The goal is to set an example as scam losses keep rising.
The amount of money lost to scams in Singapore is significant. Since 2020, victims have lost 3.8 billion Singapore dollars. Last year alone, losses reached 1.1 billion.
Caning is not new in Singapore but until now it has never been applied to scammers. In the past the punishment was used for serious crimes such as rape and robbery, and minor crimes like vandalism. In 1994, caning became international news when an American teenager was sentenced to caning for spray painting cars. His sentence was reduced from six to four strokes after U.S. President Bill Clinton intervened.
Sample sentences
The city raised the penalty for illegal dumping to set an example and stop others from doing the same.
The coach wanted to set an example, so he arrived early to every practice.
When the older students helped clean the classroom, they set an example for the younger ones.
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