Singapore caregiver jailed nearly 10 years, caned eight strokes for torturing schoolchildren
The man ill-treatment includes beating a six-year-old boy hundreds of times, forcing him to drink his own urine, leaving him with kidney failure and multiple rib fractures
Updated 1 hour ago · Published on 21 Aug 2026 3:23PM
A 31-year-old Singaporean has been sentenced to nine years and 10 months’ jail and eight strokes of the cane after subjecting children in his care to prolonged violence - August 21, 2026
A SINGAPOREAN man entrusted with caring for primary school pupils has been jailed for nearly 10 years and ordered to receive eight strokes of the cane after subjecting several children to sustained and brutal abuse, including forcing a six-year-old boy to endure more than 18 hours of violence.
The Straits Times reported on Friday that district Judge John Ng sentenced the 31-year-old to nine years and 10 months’ jail and eight strokes of the cane on Aug 21, describing the abuse as particularly brutal, especially that inflicted on the six-year-old.
The offender, who cannot be named because of a gag order protecting the identities of the victims, pleaded guilty on July 9 to child abuse, voluntarily causing grievous hurt and providing false or misleading information to the Ministry of Manpower.
The children, aged between six and 11 at the time of the offences in 2023, were staying at a private educational facility where the man worked as a manager.
The most serious abuse involved a six-year-old boy from China, whom the offender had repeatedly punished after he moved into the facility in January 2023.
The boy was routinely forced to hold a push-up position for prolonged periods, struck with a clothes hanger, made to sleep in a toilet and given only bread and water.
On March 9, 2023, the man ordered the boy into a push-up position while he was studying English.
The child remained in that position from about 3.45pm until the following morning, while other pupils were allowed to eat dinner.
At about 1.15am, the man punched and stomped on him. Between 2am and 7am, he placed a chair on the boy and sat on it, forcing him to maintain the position.
When the boy needed to urinate, he was made to do so in a basin and was later forced to drink his own urine when he became thirsty.
The abuse continued the following day.
The man repeatedly punched the child and struck him with a clothes hanger with such force that it broke. He then continued hitting him with the broken hanger before stomping and kicking him.
The prosecution said the abuse on March 10 lasted about 18 hours.
By evening, the boy had become too weak to stand. The man carried him to a toilet and sprayed water on him.
When his aunt returned at about 7pm and told him to stop, he continued hitting and kicking the child until she eventually carried the boy out of the toilet.
The man subsequently prevented his aunt from taking the child to hospital because he feared he would be arrested.
The boy was eventually taken to hospital on March 14 after complaining of breathing difficulties.
Doctors found that he had suffered a lung injury caused by blunt force to his chest, multiple rib fractures and kidney failure caused by blunt force to his back.
He was admitted to the children’s intensive care unit, where he remained until March 28, and underwent nine days of dialysis.
He also suffered muscle breakdown and severe hypertension caused by kidney failure before being discharged on April 28, 2023.
Judge Ng said the boy had been hit at least 600 times and stomped on his back and buttocks at least 40 times.
The judge also considered the defence’s mitigation that the offender had himself been physically abused as a child by his alcoholic father and gangster older brother.
But he rejected that as an excuse for the crimes.
“This does not excuse the behaviour and cruel acts that he committed on the victims,” Judge Ng said.
He added that having experienced abuse himself, the offender should have been in a better position to understand the vulnerability of children who had trusted him to care for and protect them.
Deputy public prosecutors Timotheus Koh and Cheronne Lim said the offender had abused the trust placed in him by the victims and subjected them to violence.
The six-year-old was not the only child targeted.
In January 2023, the offender forced an 11-year-old pupil to hold a push-up position for about three hours after becoming angry over mistakes in his mathematics homework. He struck the child with a hanger at least six times when he failed to maintain the position.
On March 1, he punched and slapped a 10-year-old pupil at least five times while helping him with homework.
He again forced the child into a push-up position and struck him with a hanger.
When the boy failed to answer a homework question, the offender punched him repeatedly in the face, causing him to bleed. He then kicked and struck the child with the hanger after accusing him of pretending to be injured.
The boy’s teachers noticed bruising and informed his parents, who lodged a police report the following day. A medical examination recorded multiple bruises on his body.
The offender had worked at the facility since 2016 and was responsible for caring for students staying there and supervising their schoolwork, despite having no teaching or childcare qualifications.
The facility, operated by his aunt, provided accommodation for students and workers as well as management consultancy services for foreign students.
The court rejected his request to defer the sentence for a week to attend prayers.
He was, however, allowed to speak to his family before being taken away by officers. - August 21, 2026
A SINGAPOREAN man entrusted with caring for primary school pupils has been jailed for nearly 10 years and ordered to receive eight strokes of the cane after subjecting several children to sustained and brutal abuse, including forcing a six-year-old boy to endure more than 18 hours of violence.
The Straits Times reported on Friday that district Judge John Ng sentenced the 31-year-old to nine years and 10 months’ jail and eight strokes of the cane on Aug 21, describing the abuse as particularly brutal, especially that inflicted on the six-year-old.
The offender, who cannot be named because of a gag order protecting the identities of the victims, pleaded guilty on July 9 to child abuse, voluntarily causing grievous hurt and providing false or misleading information to the Ministry of Manpower.
The children, aged between six and 11 at the time of the offences in 2023, were staying at a private educational facility where the man worked as a manager.
The most serious abuse involved a six-year-old boy from China, whom the offender had repeatedly punished after he moved into the facility in January 2023.
The boy was routinely forced to hold a push-up position for prolonged periods, struck with a clothes hanger, made to sleep in a toilet and given only bread and water.
On March 9, 2023, the man ordered the boy into a push-up position while he was studying English.
The child remained in that position from about 3.45pm until the following morning, while other pupils were allowed to eat dinner.
At about 1.15am, the man punched and stomped on him. Between 2am and 7am, he placed a chair on the boy and sat on it, forcing him to maintain the position.
When the boy needed to urinate, he was made to do so in a basin and was later forced to drink his own urine when he became thirsty.
The abuse continued the following day.
The man repeatedly punched the child and struck him with a clothes hanger with such force that it broke. He then continued hitting him with the broken hanger before stomping and kicking him.
The prosecution said the abuse on March 10 lasted about 18 hours.
By evening, the boy had become too weak to stand. The man carried him to a toilet and sprayed water on him.
When his aunt returned at about 7pm and told him to stop, he continued hitting and kicking the child until she eventually carried the boy out of the toilet.
The man subsequently prevented his aunt from taking the child to hospital because he feared he would be arrested.
The boy was eventually taken to hospital on March 14 after complaining of breathing difficulties.
Doctors found that he had suffered a lung injury caused by blunt force to his chest, multiple rib fractures and kidney failure caused by blunt force to his back.
He was admitted to the children’s intensive care unit, where he remained until March 28, and underwent nine days of dialysis.
He also suffered muscle breakdown and severe hypertension caused by kidney failure before being discharged on April 28, 2023.
Judge Ng said the boy had been hit at least 600 times and stomped on his back and buttocks at least 40 times.
The judge also considered the defence’s mitigation that the offender had himself been physically abused as a child by his alcoholic father and gangster older brother.
But he rejected that as an excuse for the crimes.
“This does not excuse the behaviour and cruel acts that he committed on the victims,” Judge Ng said.
He added that having experienced abuse himself, the offender should have been in a better position to understand the vulnerability of children who had trusted him to care for and protect them.
Deputy public prosecutors Timotheus Koh and Cheronne Lim said the offender had abused the trust placed in him by the victims and subjected them to violence.
The six-year-old was not the only child targeted.
In January 2023, the offender forced an 11-year-old pupil to hold a push-up position for about three hours after becoming angry over mistakes in his mathematics homework. He struck the child with a hanger at least six times when he failed to maintain the position.
On March 1, he punched and slapped a 10-year-old pupil at least five times while helping him with homework.
He again forced the child into a push-up position and struck him with a hanger.
When the boy failed to answer a homework question, the offender punched him repeatedly in the face, causing him to bleed. He then kicked and struck the child with the hanger after accusing him of pretending to be injured.
The boy’s teachers noticed bruising and informed his parents, who lodged a police report the following day. A medical examination recorded multiple bruises on his body.
The offender had worked at the facility since 2016 and was responsible for caring for students staying there and supervising their schoolwork, despite having no teaching or childcare qualifications.
The facility, operated by his aunt, provided accommodation for students and workers as well as management consultancy services for foreign students.
The court rejected his request to defer the sentence for a week to attend prayers.
He was, however, allowed to speak to his family before being taken away by officers. - August 21, 2026
No comments:
Post a Comment