Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Man charged with repeatedly abusing young daughter by caning, punching her

SINGAPORE — A 50-year-old man was hauled to court on Monday (May 9) and charged with multiple counts of physically assaulting his young daughter and spouse over several years.

SINGAPORE — A 50-year-old man was hauled to court on Monday (May 9) and charged with multiple counts of physically assaulting his young daughter and spouse over several years.

The Singaporean cannot be named due to a court gag order to protect his alleged victims’ identities.

He currently faces five charges under the Children and Young Persons Act of ill-treating his child from September 2018 onwards, when she was six years old.

The alleged offences lasted until she was about nine in February this year. The man was also charged with one count of voluntarily causing hurt to his wife, aged 29, this year.

The Children and Young Persons Act states that ill-treatment of a child or young person arises from inflicting “unnecessary” physical pain, suffering or injury, any emotional harm, or injury to a child’s health or development.

According to court documents, the man first allegedly targeted his daughter in 2018 by caning her arms, legs, back and buttocks, as well as punching the side of her face.

In 2021, he purportedly caned her face, back and arm again, before punching and kicking her arm and back and caning her hand on a second occasion.

On Feb 1 this year, he is said to have punched the girl and kicked her body several times. He also allegedly punched his wife’s head multiple times and struck her back with his hand.

A few hours later around noon, he then allegedly caned the girl’s back twice and once on her head.

Court documents did not reveal how his purported offences came to light. It was not stated what he used to cane her with, or the injuries the girl and the man's wife sustained.

He told the court on Monday that he has not decided whether to plead guilty or claim trial.

District Judge Terence Tay said that if he wants to apply to the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, he should do so before he returns to court on May 23.

The judge then set bail at S$15,000.

Those convicted of ill-treatment under the Children and Young Persons Act can be jailed for up to eight years or fined up to S$8,000, or punished with both, for each charge.

Those convicted of voluntarily causing hurt under the Penal Code can be jailed for up to three years or fined up to S$5,000, or both.

Related topics

court crime child abuse voluntarily causing hurt ill-treatment family

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.