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Coroner explains findings, suggests improvements to procedures

ON THE DIFFERING VERSION OF EVENTS

ON THE DIFFERING VERSION OF EVENTS

School counsellor Karry Lung’s account that she had merely raised concerns over Benjamin Lim’s participation in a school camp when he was under police investigation was more reliable, compared to a differing version from the teen’s family, said State Coroner Marvin Bay.

This did not necessarily mean that the account of Benjamin’s mother and sister, who said the boy was forbidden from attending, was an exaggeration or a distortion of facts, said Mr Bay.

Their recollections could have been affected by how they were frantically searching for answers to what had happened to Benjamin, he said.

And the boy’s death might have affected their ability to process and recall these “ancillary details”, he added.

Mr Bay also said Mdm Lung’s account followed a “logical progression” and was supported by the school’s discipline mistress.

In a phone call with Mrs Lim, Mdm Lung had suggested that the boy not attend the camp instead of directing him against doing so, he added.

Mr Bay also noted that Mdm Lung had drafted an email recording of the content of this conversation, which was sent out before Benjamin died.

Noting that a “simple call” to the mother was not the ideal way to convey the nuances of the message — that the school was asking the family to reconsider Benjamin’s participation in the camp over concerns of his wellbeing — Mr Bay said that it would have been more appropriate to speak directly to the boy.

ON THE CONDUCT OF INVESTIGATIONS

The police officers and school staff who engaged Benjamin over investigations into molestation allegations had done so sensitively, said Mr Bay.

He cited “commendable measures” such as how the officers arrived at Benjamin’s school clad in civilian attire and in unmarked cars.

They also spoke to the boy in the presence of school staff.

Nevertheless, having a school counsellor accompany the student to the police station was something to consider, said Mr Bay.

“I am, of course, not suggesting that counsellors should become advocates for the child or actively participate in the interview process, but rather to be present as resource persons to meet any arising needs from the police, the student or his caregivers,” he said.

Such an “overlapping custody arrangement between the school and the police” could see counsellors providing real-time information to parents and contacting other teachers and allied educators to provide more background information, he added.

ON THE MOLESTATION ALLEGATION

After viewing the in-lift CCTV footage multiple times, Mr Bay concluded that Benjamin Lim had touched an 11-year-old girl. But the touch was momentary and he “did not appear to grasp or grope” the girl, he said, adding that his finding was not to determine if the boy was guilty.

Rather, it was necessary to understand Benjamin’s state of mind before his suicide and whether he might have been affected by the prospect of adverse consequences from his actions.

Mr Bay said it would be useful to give juvenile suspects a better appreciation of the probable consequences of their offending behaviour, given that the young are often geared towards “catastrophic thinking” and tend to overreact to an unfavourable event.

Juvenile suspects should receive the assurance that the matter will be thoroughly investigated and, in general, be given stern warnings, therapy and rehabilitation instead of punishment, he suggested.

Otherwise, when a young suspect is not given an appropriate perspective, he may “gravitate towards self-harm or other destructive behaviour”, said Mr Bay.

Schools should also communicate directly with a student on any action that could be taken by the school in light of their offence, he added. SIAU MING EN

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