Why we recoil in horror when ‘bad mothers’ cross the line
Three tragic cases involving the deaths of children highlight the complexities of grappling with issues involving criminal culpability, mental illness and maternal instincts.
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A mother killing her own child, or being complicit in the killing, triggers reflexive horror as it upends our expectations of motherhood, says the writer.
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
Many of us will remember the horrific deaths of eight-month-old Trevor Neo in 2024 and four-year-old Megan Khung in 2020. Both children endured prolonged abuse. Trevor died after being repeatedly abused by his parents, while Megan died following mistreatment, both physical and mental, at the hands of her mother and her mother’s boyfriend for over a year.
What stood out for many in the two cases was the role of the mothers in the deaths of the children. In Megan’s case, High Court Justice Hoo Sheau Peng noted that for months, Megan pleaded with her mother for food, clothing and to be able to leave the planter box where she was forced to sleep. “Her pitiful pleas fell on deaf ears, and a hardened heart,” said the judge. “Foo’s reaction was to taunt, mock, and berate Megan.”