15 months’ jail for man who ill-treated his 2 sons, including one with autism

SINGAPORE – A man subjected his two sons, one of whom has high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, to repeated mistreatment before lodging a police report against himself in March 2024.

Two months after his action, his wife also reported him to the authorities, revealing that he had committed acts of violence against their two sons over a five-year period – from 2019 to 2024 – with the incidents escalating in both frequency and intensity.

Deputy Public Prosecutor James Chew said: “She stated that when the accused was angry, he would slap, pinch, kick or cane the boys, or would at times use belts or cable wires to punish them.

“He would also make them kneel, or deny them meals, as a form of punishment.”

On Jan 2, the 47-year-old man, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the boys’ identities, was sentenced to a year and three months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to three counts of causing physical injuries to the children.

Five other charges were considered during his sentencing.

He started committing the offences around September 2019 when he pinched the chest of the son who has autism, identified in court documents as V1.

The child was nine years old at the time, the court heard.

Between February and March 2020, the man disciplined the boy over a certain undisclosed matter and pinched his chest again, causing it to bruise.

On March 12 that year, V1’s tutor spotted the bruises when he happened to pull up his shirt. When asked, the boy told her that the bruises were caused by his father.

The woman snapped a picture of the injuries as she felt that these were “not normal”.

The prosecutor said V1’s six-year-old brother, identified as V2, was at his paternal grandparents’ home on April 24, 2021, when the offender became angry over an undisclosed matter.

DPP Chew said the accused told V2 to take off his trousers and face the wall. The accused then used a cane to forcefully hit V2’s buttocks and legs multiple times, said the prosecutor.

“The accused’s actions caused V2 to sustain multiple linear marks and abrasions over his buttocks and (the) back of his legs.”

In another incident in early January 2024, V1, who was then 13, and the man were at home when the latter became angry with the boy for being “rude”, according to court documents.

He hit V1 multiple times with his hands, including on the arms and thighs.

He picked up a pole and threatened to hit V1 with it. His wife intervened and stepped in between them to prevent the man from doing so.

He made V1 kneel on the floor for a period of time.

His actions caused the boy to sustain bruises and scratches, said the prosecutor.

The man struck again on Jan 23 that year when he hit and pinched V1’s body multiple times.

After this incident, his wife and the two boys moved out and went to live with her sister to ensure their safety.

The mother sought help from a child protection specialist centre.

Upon the advice of her social worker, she lodged the police report on May 30, 2024.

The man’s bail was set at $15,000 on Jan 2, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on Jan 16.