Medical experts say that it is almost impossible to treat paedophilia as the offenders do not come forward to seek treatment.

According to a report in The New Paper, many psychiatrists including psychiatrist Tommy Tan, who runs a private practice in Novena Psychiatry Clinic, feels that it is very hard to treat paedophilia if the offender does not approach them for help.

Dr Tan has been an expert witness in several high-profile court cases. He was then a senior consultant at the Institute of Mental Health. He has worked with a number of paedophiles in the last 20 years. He says that he rarely gets to see patients until they commit the crimes.

He added, "By the time people find out, it's too late. After I diagnose them, they go straight to jail. When they are released, they don't return to see me. In practice, it (paedophilia) is almost impossible to treat."

"The fact is that paedophiles almost never seek treatment because there's nothing causing apparent stress to them until they break the law.

"But paedophiles need professional help. Always. They all think they can control themselves. But the chances of them re-offending are very real.

"If they seek help, there is at least a chance that they can recover and not offend again."

Insights Mind Centre's psychologist Daniel Koh said: "They could have been victims of violence and sex abuse as children. When they grow up, these victims may in turn seek to be the 'dominant' party in many relationship with a child.

"The treatment depends on the cause, and yet the cause is not definite."

Mr Koh felt paedophiles were hard to detect because they usually act behind closed doors.

He said: "During the grooming process, they will gain the trust of the child and the child’s family. People do not expect the paedophile to strike, or they feel so comfortable that they let their guards down.

"At times, younger children may not understand what’s going on or are unable to express it, so it may go unnoticed."

Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre's child psychiatrist Brian Yeo said: "It's the sort of thing nobody will admit to having. Firstly, there's a shame to attached to the condition.

"Secondly, if a patient admits to having a relationship with a minor, a doctor will immediately have to break confidentiality to ensure safety of the minor."

Another psychiatrist, Munidasa Winslow from Novena Medical Center said: "Even if you use chemical castration, you can't possibly remove 100 per cent of a person's sexual urges."

However, Dr Winslow is optimistic that if a paedophile takes responsibility for his actions, he may be able to control himself.

He said: "It’s really up to the individual. They must realise that their inclinations can harm children, who are vulnerable in society.

"They may never be able to get rid of their desires, but at least they can make sure that their actions are always in the clear."

Former Ministry of Education scholar Jonathan Wong Wai Kheong, 25, will go to prison for five years for sexual penetration of a minor.

In Wong's six-page mitigation letter, he said that when he returns home eventually, he will frame up proof of his conviction and hang it where he will see it every morning.

"To remind myself of what I have done and to ensure I never forget every experience and time I have spent in court and in prison," he wrote.

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