Child abuse allegations: Woman faces charges in preschool incident
A woman, 40, faces charges for allegedly hitting a one-year-old at an undisclosed preschool, leading to injury. \n \n She's willing to plead guilty without legal representation under a gag order. \n \nConcerned parents request the court to lift the gag order for school identification.
SINGAPORE: A 40-year-old woman faces allegations of repeatedly striking a one-year-old girl under her care at a preschool, leading to the child experiencing linear ecchymosis on her right cheek, characterized by bleeding beneath the skin.
The individual, whose identity is protected by court-issued gag orders safeguarding the victim's anonymity, was charged under the Children and Young Persons Act on 8 December with one count of ill-treatment.
Reportedly, she struck the girl's face several times on the afternoon of 15 March this year at an unidentified preschool.
Appearing in court without legal representation and wearing a mask, the woman informed the judge of her readiness to plead guilty. She stated that she would not be seeking counsel. Her next court appearance is scheduled for 17 January.
Individuals found guilty of mistreating a child or young person under their care may face a maximum sentence of eight years in jail, a fine of up to S$8,000, or both.
On 31 August, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) announced that all preschools and government-funded early intervention centres will be required to have closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) in place by July 2024.
The announcement arrives while investigations continue into the reported mistreatment of several children enrolled in Kinderland centres, specifically at the Woodlands and Sunshine Place branches in Choa Chu Kang.
The ECDA stated that this measure is part of their regular evaluation of security and safety procedures in the early childhood sector, unrelated to previous incidents. They underscored that the decision also considered the input of parents, educators, and preschool operators.
According to the ECDA, the implementation of CCTV cameras at the preschool is aimed at bolstering security by dissuading suspicious or unauthorized individuals from accessing the premises.
Additionally, in the case of incidents, the recorded footage from the CCTV cameras can serve as an impartial and dependable source of evidence, facilitating the investigation process.
Some parents went to the comments section, demanding the court to lift the gag order as they wished to learn the name of the school to steer clear of it.
Some also asked whether the gag order is to protect the victim or protect the place.
