Girl, 15, who lived in Circuit Road market stall for a year is attending special needs school

In April 2024, a 15-year-old girl was discovered to have been living in a wet market stall in Circuit Road Market and Food Centre for almost a year.

She lived in the cramped stall for 11 months before she was found by National Environment Agency (NEA) officers conducting checks at the market.

The girl is now attending a special needs school, according to an update by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Oct. 23.

Learning to communicate

Prior to the NEA's discovery, the child was observed by stall holders to be quiet.

She rarely spoke and would only communicate in gestures, said The Straits Times.

However, the girl is now able to express herself using simple words and voice her basic needs, MSF told ST.

Back in April, Child Protective Services were alerted to the girl's situation and she was admitted to the hospital for medical assessment.

The girl was later taken in by foster parents in May and is adjusting well to her new life, reported ST.

Father visits her regularly

According to MSF, her 63-year-old father, who was last heard to be helping with police investigations, is concerned about his daughter.

The man sees his daughter on a regular basis, through visits overseen by a social service professional.

If convicted of ill-treating his child, he could face a jail term of up to eight years, a fine of S$8,000, or both.

Back when Mothership visited the market on Apr. 27, the three stalls rented by the father had been closed.

The stall that housed the girl reportedly remains shuttered.

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Top images via Mothership