Former Minds employee gets 3 weeks’ jail for twice punching mentally disabled adult’s face

• Mohammad Zulkifli Muhaini was trying to restrain an agitated 31-year-old man at Minds 
• He held onto the man’s hands and tried to drag him to a room before punching him twice on the face
• His lawyer said that he lost his job after the incident

SINGAPORE — A former assistant training officer from the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds) was given three weeks’ jail on Tuesday (May 4) for assaulting a mentally disabled adult at one of its day activity centres.

Mohammad Zulkifli Muhaini, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt to 31-year-old Louis Seow, who also has a low IQ and is unable to communicate.

While the offence normally attracts up to three years’ jail or a maximum fine of S$5,000, or both, he was liable for twice that punishment as Mr Seow is a vulnerable person under the law. The provision for enhanced penalties for crimes against vulnerable persons took effect last year.

The court heard that the incident took place on Sept 9 last year at the voluntary welfare organisation’s Jurong Training Development Centre. Mr Seow was enrolled there.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Lim Ying Min told the court that while in a classroom, Zulkifli’s co-worker tasked Mr Seow with clipping towels. However, Mr Seow was reluctant to do so and waited for Zulkifli outside a “calming room”, which is a room where a person whose behaviour gets out of control is taken to to calm down.

Around 2pm to 3pm, Zulkifli emerged and Mr Seow began gesturing to him about the co-worker, pointing at her and performing a slapping action a few times.

He then grew agitated and pushed Zulkifli once on his chest, causing Zulkifli to restrain him by holding both of his hands. He struggled to break free but failed.

Zulkifli then pushed him once, causing him to hit the wall behind him. Zulkifli then dragged him towards the calming room. Zulkifli punched him once on the face when he continued to struggle.

When he fell and tried to get up, Zulkifli grabbed his right arm, swung him around and tried once more to drag him into the calming room. Mr Seow continued to point at Zulkifli’s co-worker throughout this entire time and struggled before eventually sitting on the floor.

Zulkifli punched him on the face again and took him into the room.

Footage of the incident from a closed-circuit television camera was played in court.

After Mr Seow returned home, his sister noticed that his left cheek was swollen and told their father, but they did not think much about the injury as they thought it could have been self-inflicted.

The next day, Mr Seow’s father realised that his son’s other cheek was also swollen. He took his son to the doctor the next day, who discharged him with no medication or medical leave as the injury was considered mild.

Mr Seow’s sister then informed Minds, which conducted internal investigations. A Minds manager then made a police report on Sept 19.

LOST HIS JOB AFTER INCIDENT

DPP Lim, who sought four weeks’ jail, said that Zulkifli had used “quite a significant amount of force” on Mr Seow and was supposed to take care of him.

In mitigation, Zulkifli’s lawyer SS Dhillon argued that Mr Seow had been acting in a rowdy fashion by first pushing Zulkifli’s co-worker. He had also struggled to break free from Zulkifli’s grip.

“When he was called up by Minds, he agreed he (assaulted Mr Seow) but pleaded, ‘I did not intend to assault him, I wanted to calm him down, he was struggling with me. I put him in the calming room. I didn’t assault him any further but I agree I shouldn’t have punched him.’,” Mr Dillon told the court.

The lawyer added that Zulkifli worked for Minds for three years before this and has since lost his job after agreeing with Minds that his contract should be terminated. He now remains unemployed.

“He is really sorry for what he has done. He had no bad intentions. He has lost everything, perhaps for a minute of transgression with the law,” Mr Dhillon added.

Zulkifli has agreed to compensate Mr Seow S$10 for his medical bills.

DPP Lim then disagreed that Mr Seow had pushed the co-worker, saying there was contact made but that she would not go so far as to characterise it as a push. “There was simply no reason for the accused to be hitting the victim,” DPP Lim added.

In sentencing, District Judge Teoh Ai Lin said: “Parents entrust their loved ones with special needs to Minds, believing it to be a safe environment. This should not have happened.”

In reply to queries from TODAY, a spokesperson from Minds said that the victim received "immediate support" from its team after the incident and he has been undergoing follow-up sessions with the centre's staff members to ensure his continued well-being.

“All direct support staff have a duty of care to the clients entrusted to them. Minds does not tolerate aggressive conduct by its staff towards vulnerable persons.”