S'pore ex-infant care teacher, 37, force-fed girl, 1, till she vomited & slapped her head, given 14 months jail

A 37-year-old former infant care teacher at a pre-school, who force-fed a one-year-old girl milk from a bottle until she struggled and vomited, was sentenced on Jul. 8 to 14 months' jail.

According a report by CNA, the woman pleaded guilty to one charge of ill-treating a child under her care.

Two similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The woman cannot be identified due to gag orders on her identity and the identity of the victim.

Force-fed an infant milk until she vomited

According to court documents seen by Mothership, the woman worked as an infant care teacher at a preschool in Singapore from 2022 until Oct. 2, 2024.

She was responsible for caring for about 10 infants aged between two and 18 months.

Her duties included feeding the children, changing diapers and supervising their daily routines, as well as conducting activities and lessons.

A couple enrolled their daughter at the preschool in February 2024.

On Sep. 23, 2024, the woman was looking after the girl, who was then 12 months old, along with three other infants.

At about 11:50am that day, she brought the four children into the preschool's nap room to drink milk before their afternoon nap.

Five minutes later, the victim stopped drinking from her bottle, without finishing the milk inside.

The teacher noticed this and placed the bottle back into the victim's mouth, but the girl turned her head away.

She then carried the victim onto her lap and tried to feed her again, but the victim refused and began to cry.

After trying several more times, the teacher eventually held the victim's head with one hand while pushing the bottle into her mouth.

The victim responded by shaking her head and flailing her arms and legs in an attempt to resist.

The teacher then pressed down on the victim's head and squeezed the bottle, forcing milk into her mouth.

The victim spat the milk out and when she continued struggling, the teacher hit her on the body with her hand.

She continued force-feeding the victim for about two minutes as the girl kicked her legs and swung her arms.

After the teacher briefly removed the bottle, the victim vomited onto the mattress and the floor.

The teacher then slapped the victim on the head, pulled her upwards by her hands and lifted her off the mattress so that she could remove the soiled bedsheet.

She also hit the victim's back three times before taking her out of the room.

The woman later admitted she acted this way as she was upset that the victim was crying excessively.

Investigations

On Sep. 26, 2024, an unidentified informant reported the suspected child abuse at the preschool.

Upon reviewing CCTV footage, preschool staff uncovered multiple incidents involving the teacher and another staff member.

The woman was dismissed that same day, while the other staff member was fired a few days later.

The case was later referred to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), which carried out further investigations into both individuals.

CCTV footage also showed that the woman had also handled two other infants roughly — a 10-month-old girl and an eight-month-old boy — on Sep. 25, 2024.

The prosecution sought a jail term of between 14 and 16 months for the woman.

"Children are generally unable to fend for nor defend themselves, and they are amongst the most vulnerable members of our society," they said. "They are entirely reliant on others to provide for their well-bring, and when they are ill-treated, the "very fabric and future of our society is undermined"."

For ill-treating a child under her care, the woman could have been jailed for up to eight years, fined up to S$8,000, or both.