Over 8 months’ jail for former infant care teacher who ill-treated toddler
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On April 10, the 32-year-old Singaporean woman pleaded guilty to ill-treating the child, and was sentenced to eight months and two weeks’ jail.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
SINGAPORE – Upset with a toddler’s behaviour during feeding time, an infant care teacher at a pre-school slapped the 16-month-old boy’s right hand nine times and pushed his face twice.
On April 10, the 32-year-old Singaporean woman pleaded guilty to ill-treating the child, and was sentenced to eight months and two weeks’ jail.
A second similar charge involving an eight-month-old boy was considered during her sentencing.
Details about the offender cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect the identities of the two children.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Ang said that the woman started working at the pre-school in 2017. Details of the school have been redacted from court documents.
She was tasked to care for about 10 children who were between two months and 17 months old.
Her duties included changing their diapers and feeding them, the court heard.
On Aug 13, 2024, the 16-month-old boy was sitting in an infant chair when the woman tried to feed him some milk from a bottle.
At around 3pm, she used her hand to hit his left hand when he spat out the milk.
She continued feeding him and finished about 30 minutes later.
The woman then pulled his right hand towards her, slapped it three times and pushed the right side of his face.
DPP Ang said: “(After that), the accused grabbed the victim’s right hand again and slapped it another six times.
“She used her left (index) finger to push the right side of the victim’s face, causing him to swing towards the left of the chair.”
On Sept 26, 2024, an unnamed person made a report, stating that acts of child abuse had taken place at the pre-school.
Its staff then viewed CCTV footage and uncovered numerous incidents involving the woman and another colleague, whom the DPP referred to as “B1”.
Court documents did not disclose details about the acts involving B1, whose employment was terminated later that day.
The woman in the current case stopped working at the pre-school in October 2024, and was arrested in November 2025.
