A woman in Singapore pleaded guilty to slapping an eight-year-old girl in the face in a MRT train on Jul. 15, 2020, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

Connie Soh, 45, now faces up to double the maximum penalty for the offence of voluntarily causing hurt, as the girl was under 14 years old at the time.

She is due to be sentenced on Jun. 18.

Girl had stepped on her feet

The incident took place after the girl and her mother boarded the MRT train at Choa Chu Kang station that afternoon.

The girl accidentally stepped on Soh's foot in the process, and apologised.

However, Soh did not hear the apology as she was talking on her phone at the time.

Soh then confronted the girl's mother, and the two began to argue over whether the girl had apologised.

In the course of the argument, Soh also poked the nose of the girl's mother.

According to ST, as the girl and her mother were exiting the train carriage at the next station, Soh slapped the girl to try and prevent her from leaving without apologising.

The girl then began to cry, and her mother called the police.

The mother brought her daughter to the hospital, where a doctor noted a bruise on the girl's left cheek, and gave her a two-day medical certificate.

The prosecution asked for Soh to be fined at least S$5,000, saying that her reaction was "objectively disproportionate" and highlighting that it took place in public.

A charge of using criminal force while poking the nose of the girl's mother will also be taken into consideration.

Top photo by Nigel Chua