Man to be charged after allegedly slapping 4-year-old boy outside Woodlands pre-school
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In a statement on April 6, the police said they were alerted to a case of alleged assault on the child by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital on March 6 at 4.50pm.
PHOTO: ST FILE
SINGAPORE – A 36-year-old man is set to be charged on April 7 after he allegedly slapped a four-year-old boy outside a Woodlands pre-school in March.
In a statement on April 6, the police said they were alerted to a case of alleged assault on the child by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital on March 6 at 4.50pm.
The child had suffered injuries to his cheek, they added.
Preliminary investigations found the man had allegedly slapped the boy at a bus stop outside a pre-school in Woodlands that day.
The man was arrested on the same day after officers from the Woodlands Police Division identified him.
In an Instagram post on March 6, the boy’s mother said that the child was allegedly slapped twice outside a PCF Sparkletots pre-school at around noon.
The mother, citing the family helper’s account of the incident, said her son had allegedly shown one of his classmates the middle finger after he was caught during a game of “catching”.
The suspect, who she said was the father of her son’s classmate, then allegedly grabbed the boy by the collar and slapped his face.
When the helper intervened and tried to pull the boy away, the man allegedly held on to the boy and slapped his other cheek, which made the child cry.
The man is expected to be charged over his suspected involvement in voluntarily causing hurt, using criminal force, and causing intentional harassment on the boy.
For voluntarily causing hurt and using criminal force against those below 14 years of age, the man could face enhanced penalties.
The offence of voluntarily causing hurt carries a jail term of up to three years, a maximum fine of $5,000, or both.
If convicted of using criminal force, the man could be jailed up to three months, fined up to $1,500, or both.
With the enhanced penalties, the man could face up to twice the maximum punishment.
If found guilty of intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress, the man could get up to six months’ jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
The police added they “take a serious view of all cases involving violence against children and have zero tolerance for such behaviour”.
