SINGAPORE, Aug 27 — Foodcourt staff in Singapore are taking on a new role — spotting signs of domestic abuse.

In July, 77 managers from Koufu, one of Singapore’s largest foodcourt chains, were trained by the country’s Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to detect and report family violence, The Straits Times reported yesterday.

Singapore’s Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming described Koufu staff as the “eyes and ears” on the ground to spot abuse. 

He urged companies, schools and the public to help prevent domestic violence, noting a rise in reported low- to moderate-risk cases between 2021 and 2023.

“Domestic violence is a complex issue and requires a whole-of-society effort to address,” he said, as reported by the English-language daily.

The MSF’s 2024 Domestic Violence Trends report, released last September, revealed that new spousal violence cases rose 15 per cent from 1,741 in 2022 to 2,008 in 2023. New Tier 1 child abuse cases — low- to moderate-risk cases — climbed 17 per cent from 2,377 in 2021 to 2,787 in 2023.

Alex Go, Koufu’s senior operations manager, said the one-hour training taught staff how to spot signs such as bruises or unusual behaviour and approach diners to offer help. 

“Many of our customers are regulars… If they see signs of potential abuse, they could approach the diner in the hope of linking them up to help,” he reportedly said.

Koufu is also printing the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) number on all mugs in its 67 outlets. The helpline operates 24/7 at 1800-777-0000.