S'porean man, 44, jailed 80 days for shoving boy, 7, twice at playground who hit his daughter

After his daughter was hit in the face at an indoor playground, a Singaporean man forcefully shoved the seven-year-old boy who did so twice.

On Oct. 23, 2026, 44-year-old Koh Gek Kuan was sentenced to 80 days' jail after he pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt to a child below 14 years old.

During sentencing, a second charge of a similar nature was taken into consideration.

A gag order has been issued to protect the victim’s identity. The location of the offence is also covered by the order.

Boy hit his daughter in the face

The incident occurred on Aug. 18, 2023. Koh was at an indoor playground with his then four-year-old daughter.

At around 7:22pm, his daughter was chasing the boy with an object while Koh followed behind.

Shortly after, the boy struck the girl in the face.

According to court documents, Koh charged towards the boy and pushed him forcefully from the left.

The act caused the boy to fall face-down onto the floor, and the toys in his hands flew across the room, attracting the attention of the indoor playground's patrons and staff.

Shoved the victim to the ground again

While remaining on the floor, the victim sat up whilst Koh confronted him.

Koh proceeded to shove the victim to the ground again, forcefully pushing the boy's right shoulder.

The boy fell, and his head and left shoulder collided with the floor.

The indoor playground's staff and patrons who witnessed the incident approached Koh to assist the victim.

The victim's parents brought him to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital on the same day for a medical check.

The victim was attended to at around 8pm, and a medical report noted that there was a 2cm by 2cm haematoma (bruised bump) on the boy's left scalp with an overlying abrasion, redness on his right cheek and bruising on his right knee.

Koh was arrested on Aug. 18, 2023 and released on bail on Aug. 20, 2023, remaining on bail till his sentencing.

Prosecution's address

The prosecution called Koh's actions "a case of violence against the vulnerable" as Koh tackled and shoved the boy to the floor twice in full view of the indoor playground's patrons and staff.

The address noted that "the law must maintain an uncompromising stance" to deter, denounce and express the public outrage of such one-sided abuse.

The prosecution sought a sentence of between four and six months' imprisonment.

They noted the victim did not suffer long-lasting injuries, but his injuries were on vulnerable parts of his body, namely his scalp and cheek, with Koh's actions constituting "severe potential harm".

Koh also swore at the boy and expressed no remorse when the patrons of the indoor playground tried to intervene to prevent further harm to the victim, shouting and trying to justify his actions instead of accepting responsibility, the address noted.

Was daughter's fourth birthday

According to CNA, Koh, a self-employed IT business owner, had brought his daughter to the playground as it was her birthday.

His lawyer, Shaneet Nityanand Rai from Kalidass Law Corporation, sought nine to 12 weeks' jail, urging the court to take into account Koh's position as a parent and the difficulty of "restraining himself" when the older boy hit his daughter.

Rai said the joyous occasion turned into a "nightmare of a weekend" for both families, reported CNA.

Koh's defence said the boy snatched a toy bus from Koh's daughter, who then chased the boy, before getting struck in the face.

CNA stated that Rai also listed his client's bipolar disorder in mitigation despite the lawyer noting that the condition had no causal or contributory link.

Penalties

An offender faces up to three years' jail and/or a fine of S$5,000 for voluntarily causing hurt.

In cases where the victim is under 14, the offender may be jailed for up to double the maximum punishment above.