S’pore childcare centre principal, 40, who repeatedly abused pupil, 4, gets 10 months’ jail

A childcare centre principal in Singapore, 40, was sentenced to 10 months' jail on Apr. 23 after she repeatedly abused her four-year-old pupil multiple times over the course of a single incident.

According to The Straits Times, the woman pleaded guilty to one charge of ill-treating a child in court that Thursday.

The woman's name and that of the childcare centre cannot be disclosed due to a gag order.

Hit the boy's head and pulled his arm repeatedly

According to court documents seen by Mothership, on Nov. 21, 2024, the victim’s father took the boy to the childcare centre.

The pupils were rehearsing for their graduation ceremony that day.

During the session, some pupils, including the boy, were asked to sit at a table and play with toys.

The boy, who was sitting closest to the toy shelves, had attempted to pull down a toy box without getting up from his seat.

A teacher had instructed him to stand, but he refused.

Hit him on the head, pulled him by the arm

Witnessing this, the principal then approached and hit him on the head, causing him to drop the box.

She grabbed his left arm and attempted to pull him to his feet, but he continued to resist.

She then noticed the boy had wet himself, and her frustration escalated.

She grabbed and pulled him by the arm about five more times before pushing him back down into his seat.

When he eventually stood up, she struck his head again.

She then instructed pupils nearby to help pick up the toys that fell out of the box containing the toys when the box was dropped.

Struck and pushed his head

As she bent down to help pick up the scattered toys, she hit the boy's right arm.

She then used the plastic lid of the toy box to strike the top of his head, before pushing his head twice more.

The entire incident lasted over four minutes and was recorded on the centre's closed-circuit television (CCTV).

Told the father she tried to prevent a box from falling on the boy

A teacher later alerted the principal to scratches on the boy's left arm, court documents read.

After examining the boy, the principal told the teacher that she would speak to the boy’s father when he came to pick him up.

When the boy's father arrived to pick him up at around 12.30pm, he noticed his son had changed out of his uniform.

The principal told the father that the scratches occurred when she pulled the boy away to prevent a toy box from falling on him, which is inconsistent with the CCTV footage.

She also declined to share the footage when the father asked, citing centre policy.

When the father asked her how many times she had pulled his son, she said only once.

Upon returning home, the boy's father noticed that the scratches on his son were not minor.

He later took the boy to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where doctors determined the child had suffered a non-accidental injury.

"Shocking departure from the standards expected of a childcare professional"

The prosecution sought a jail term of six to eight months for the principal, describing her conduct as "a shocking departure from the standards expected of a childcare professional".

They noted that she had carried out eight distinct acts of violence against the child in a sustained and deliberate manner.

"The accused held a position of great responsibility and trust towards the children placed in her care.

Her actions on Nov. 21, 2024 constitute a shocking departure from the standards expected of a childcare professional, involving multiple acts of violence against a defenceless child who was dependent upon her care."

The court ultimately imposed a sentence of 10 months' jail.

If convicted of ill-treatment of a child, one can be fined up to S$8,000, jailed for up to eight years or both.

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