SINGAPORE — When police officers turned up at his school on Jan 26 to get his help for investigations on an alleged molestation that happened a day earlier, Benjamin Lim showed no signs or indications of emotional distress or instability.

The 14-year-old boy was not observed to be behaving unusually until he had a phone conversation with his mother before he was taken back to the police station for interviews. 

The mother’s loud voice could be heard by police officers and school officials who were in the room at that time and Benjamin appeared to be stressed. 

After having his statement on the alleged molestation taken at the police station, Benjamin was released into his mother’s custody. 

About an hour after they returned home, the boy was found dead at the foot of his block.

These details were spelt out by State Counsel Wong Woon Kwong on Tuesday (May 17), at the start of a highly-anticipated Coroner’s Inquiry into Benjamin’s death, which dominated headlines earlier this year and saw the ministers for Home Affairs and Education (Schools) delivering ministerial statements in Parliament on the case in March.

The case sparked a debate about police procedure involving minors. It also saw Benjamin’s parents refuting certain points in official accounts on the events leading to the boy’s death.

Among the points in dispute were whether the molestation had taken place — which Benjamin’s father again contended at the hearing yesterday — and how the boy’s intended absence from a school camp occurred.

The hearing on Tuesday attracted a packed gallery, including Benjamin’s parents, older brother, sister and grandparents. Their names are barred by the court from being published in the media.

At the start of the hearing, Mr Wong said an 11-year-old girl had lodged a report at a police station about being molested in a lift on Jan 25. 

CCTV footage that was made available after Benjamin’s death showed that the teen was in the lift with her.

Mr Wong also reiterated that the five policemen who went to North View Secondary School to seek Benjamin’s assistance in the case were in civilian clothes and had gone there in unmarked cars.

Halfway through an interview with Benjamin by one of the officers, school counsellor Karry Lung was brought into the room.

Testifying on Tuesday, Madam Lung said the officer posed questions “in a normal tone”. 

“I observed that Benjamin appeared to be slightly stressed, but I felt that Benjamin was coping well and his stress levels were acceptable, and I did not deem it necessary to intervene,” she said.

Later, Benjamin called his mother on his phone and an officer informed her that Benjamin was required to assist in an investigation. 

Mdm Lung said that when the phone was passed back to Benjamin, she heard his mother “speaking very loudly”. 

“As I was closely observing Benjamin, I noticed that he started frowning and his replies became softer and were minimal,” she added. 

“Benjamin appeared to be significantly stressed.” 

Sensing that the conversation between the mother and son was not doing the boy “any good”, Mdm Lung said she signalled that the conversation should end. 

Benjamin was then taken to Ang Mo Kio Police Divisional Headquarters. About 45 minutes after he got home from the station, Benjamin was told that he would not be attending a three-day school camp the following day. He was found dead at the foot of the block about 15 minutes later.

The court was also told that Benjamin was provisionally diagnosed with “emotional disorder of childhood” when he was 7 years old. 

Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Mohamed Razif, the investigation officer of the case, testified that the boy “would scratch himself when he is anxious or angry, cry for extended periods when upset, and be physically aggressive when upset”.

He attended school counselling sessions from 2008 until 2011.

There was a break from late February to early May 2009 for his mother to try out parenting tips recommended by the school counsellor.

In April 2010, Benjamin was also referred for counselling by his form teacher who had found a note on him saying, “I want to die”. But Benjamin denied writing the note when he was asked about it.

The inquiry continues on Wednesday with Mdm Lung returning to the stand. 

Fifteen witnesses’ statements are slated to be tendered for the hearing, including that of Benjamin’s mother, although there are no indications she will take the stand. 

Besides Mdm Lung, two police officers are scheduled to testify on Wednesday