S'porean man, 31, charged with pushing baby's head into pail of water & hanging him on hanger

A 31-year-old man allegedly abused a baby he was looking after by choking him, stepping on his face, pushing his head into a pail of water and hanging him on a hanger in a cupboard.

The baby was about 11 months old at the time of the alleged incidents.

According to CNA, the man was handed about 30 charges of child abuse on Sep. 19.

Though the relationship between him and the baby was not specified, the case was classified as a domestic violence case.

Both of them cannot be identified due to a gag order to protect the victim's identity.

It is unclear what happened to the baby at this early charging stage.

Used a bolster to hit the baby's face and body multiple times

According to charge sheets seen by Mothership, the man physically ill-treated the boy over three months from July 2024 to September 2024.

July 2024

In July 2024, the man allegedly:

• Hit the baby's face and body multiple times with a bolster
• Slapped his face and squeezed his neck
• Forcefully grabbed the baby's cheeks and stepped on his face with his foot
• Pushed the baby's head into a pail of water for about six seconds
• Grabbed his hair and shook his head for about three seconds
• Pressed a pillow onto the baby's face for about 10 seconds
• Grabbed the baby's shirt and shook him forcefully

It was also alleged that the man had strangled and lifted the baby before slamming the baby's head repeatedly onto the bed.

August 2024

In August 2024, under the man's care, he allegedly:

• Held the baby by his leg upside down before dropping him onto the bed
• Forcefully pinched the baby's nose
• Flicked the baby on the mouth and face multiple times
• Twisted his left arm forcefully for about four seconds
• Lifting him into the air by his singlet before dropping him onto the bed
• Used his knee to press onto the baby's right foot
• Kicked the child's buttocks, body and legs
• Strangled him for up to 41 seconds

On Aug. 16 2024, the man had allegedly choked the baby five times in the same day.

On one occasion, the man had reportedly lifted the baby and held him in the air by a hanger on the back of his T-shirt before dropping him onto a mattress on the ground.

On another occasion, charge sheets alleged that the man had put the baby into the cupboard and closed the cupboard door for a period of time.

He later took the baby out and threw him a distance of at least two metres onto the mattress.

Charge sheets also noted that the man allegedly forced a milk bottle with water into the baby's mouth, strangled him and slapped his face multiple times.

September 2024

The man's most recent offence allegedly occurred at a void deck on Sep. 16 2024.

According to charge sheets, the man allegedly grabbed the baby's hair forcefully, twisted both his arms, punched his face and caused him to fall over.

He also reportedly slammed the baby's hands against a table, punched his buttocks and legs, forcefully grabbed him by the back of his head and dragged him along the table.

Pre-trial conference in September 2025

CNA reported that the case was adjourned for a pre-trial conference later in September.

For each charge of ill-treating a child under the Children and Young Persons Act, if convicted, the man could be jailed for up to eight years, fined up to S$8,000, or both.

Top photos via Canva, Mothership