S'pore ex-preschool teacher, 57, pleads guilty to kicking girl, 4, on shin & bruising her

A former preschool teacher in Singapore pleaded guilty to kicking a four-year-old girl on the shin while she was seated on the floor, as she felt the girl was trying to trip her up.

The teacher did not trip or fall at the time.

A bruise on the girl's shin was discovered by her mother, who lodged a police report on the same night in April 2024.

Kicked K1 girl on shin

The court heard that Alamelu Paramaguru, now 57, was known as "Teacher Meloo" at the kindergarten, CNA reported.

The kindergarten cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victim.

On Apr. 2, 2024, Alamelu was in charge of the Kindergarten 1 class, which included the victim.

After morning lessons, the children had their lunch and a bath, before they were scheduled to have a nap at noon.

In preparation for this, Alamelu sanitised the sleeping cots and placed them in the room at around 11:55am.

She told a group of seven students to move away from the corner of the classroom where she was about to place the cots.

Six of them moved, but the victim continued to sit on the floor.

As Alamelu was moving a cot, she turned and felt she had "nearly been tripped" by the victim.

Despite not having actually tripped or fallen, Alamelu got angry and kicked the victim on her right shin.

She also shouted at the victim to sit properly.

The girl hugged her shin in pain and pressed her face into it, but Alamelu continued to scold her.

She also did not attend to the girl's injury.

Police report lodged after bruise seen

That evening, the victim told her mother about the incident with Teacher Meloo, and her mother saw a bruise on her shin.

As Alamelu had already left for the day, the victim's mother spoke to other teachers, who told her they would raise the matter to the principal the next day.

The victim's mother lodged a police report on the night of the incident.

The victim sustained a 1cm by 1cm bruise and was treated at KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

She was given two days of medical leave.

Could have 'unconsciously' touched girl's leg: Accused

Alamelu told investigators she could not remember what happened during the incident, but said her foot could have touched or made contact with the girl's leg "unconsciously".

Previous media reports stated that Alamelu was given a suspension following investigations by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA).

She eventually resigned and is no longer working in the preschool sector, according to ECDA.

Charge sheets seen by Mothership showed that Alamelu was charged on Jul. 31, 2024 for ill-treating a child under her care.

Alamelu pleaded guilty on Jul. 22.

Court records indicate that her case is still before the courts, and her bail has been set at S$15,000.

Top image from Canva