April 27, 2024, 11:08 PM
Police are investigating the case of a 15-year-old girl who was believed to have lived in a wet market stall in MacPherson for almost a year.
The girl has since been admitted to hospital, and authorities are looking into alternative care arrangements for her.
Her 63-year-old father is assisting with police investigations.
The stall
Stall holders at Circuit Road Market and Food Centre told Mothership that the girl's father rented three stalls there.
These three stalls were shuttered at the time of Mothership's visit on Apr. 27.
A stall owner, who declined to be named, said that he had not seen the girl's father since the investigation began.
One of the shuttered stalls belonging to the girl's father was said to have housed the girl. Image by Tharun Suresh.
The stall where the girl was believed to be living in was about two by three metres in size, with one window at the back.
A foldable mattress, some snacks, and red plastic bags full of items could be seen inside the stall.
The interior of the stall was cramped. Image by Tharun Suresh.
Some stall holders observed that the girl rarely spoke and would communicate in gestures instead, The Straits Times (ST) reported.
She would not leave the stall to use the toilet, but would relieve herself using pails in the stall, they told ST.
They added that the girl was spotted by National Environment Agency (NEA) officers who conducted checks at the market in early April.
Authorities intervened
The case was reported to Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF)'s Child Protective Service (CPS) on Apr. 3.
"CPS arranged for the child to be admitted to a hospital for medical assessment, and is looking into alternate care arrangements for the child after discharge, to ensure her safety and well-being," MSF said in a statement to Mothership.
The ministry added that they will not be providing additional information due to the ongoing police investigations and to protect the privacy of the child and family.
Chinese media Lianhe Zaobao (Zaobao) reported that the father and daughter are Singapore permanent residents. Zaobao further reported that the man is a single parent.
Stall owners told Zaobao that they have not seen the girl in school uniform before. They also shared that they had not heard the man scold the girl before and that the father and daughter were close.
MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling said she was informed by the authorities that the girl had been living in the stall for 11 months, ST reported.
She said she was shocked when she heard it, and was concerned because of the girl's young age.
Police confirmed with Mothership that a 63-year-old man is assisting with investigations into ill treatment of a child or young person by neglect.
Investigations are ongoing.
Top image by Tharun Suresh
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