The social service organization responsible for Megan Khung’s care, the Ministry of Social and Family Development ( MSF), said on Tuesday ( Apr 8 ), that it had not fully explained the extent of her injuries in its report. As a result, there were “inadequate interventions” before her death.  ,
Megan passed away in February 2020. Foo Li Ping, 29, and her then-boyfriend Wong Shi Xiang, 38, both abused her for months before the latter fatally punched the child.
Wong received 17 wood breaths and 30 years in prison while Foo received a 19-year sentence.  ,
It was made known earlier this year that Megan had been withdrawn from a school for about five weeks prior to passing away. A team member noticed bruises on some of her body while she was in school.
Her death wasn’t discovered until five months later, when her parents reported to the police.
Before and after the removal, questions were raised about Megan’s treatment.
WHAT HAPPENED
In 2017, Megan was enrolled in Beyond Social Services ( BSS)’s Healthy Start Child Development Centre. According to court documents, the school claimed that she was usually faithful.
Foo and Wong began dating in 2018 and moved in together a year later, with Megan rarely staying with them.
The few caned Megan when she urinated on the bed and seat in the late February and early March of this year while she was a resident of the apartment. She developed scars all over her body as a result.
The woman left school in the early February of this year, but she came back on March 19 that time.
A personnel member questioned the family about the wounds she had noticed on the kid’s face, shoulders, and feet when Foo took her daughter to the school. Even though Wong claimed some of the injuries were caused by Megan falling off a bike, she fabricated that they were actually caused by her.
She acknowledged that she had another injuries on Megan and that they had been caused by her disciplining the child. The employee informed the mother that this kind of discipline was extreme for a kid Megan’s age.
Another team representative told the couple that any girl should not be subject to any physical punishment and that any violation may result in a recommendation to MSF three days later.
Megan was removed from Foo on September 17, 2019, claiming Foo had not been able to teach her Taiwanese.
The maltreatment escalated after Megan moved in full-time with Foo and Wong. She passed away in February 2020, and the pair burned her body in May of that year. Prior to July 2020, no one knew about her demise.
THE Review
In response to CNA’s questions, MSF provided a detailed explanation of the steps taken by the government after the wounds were discovered in March 2019 and before Megan’s passing.
Early in April 2019, the school reported an incident report to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA ) following the school had identified the injuries.
According to the review,” Megan appeared content, had no further injury, and had been attending preschool every day since Mar 19, 2019,” according to MSF.
The review made it clear that Foo had consented to the girl moving in with Megan’s grandmother and that BSS had established a momentary care plan for the girl.
After the interpersonal services organization determined her mother to be a reliable and stabilizing caregiver, BSS informed CNA that this treatment plan was put into effect.
According to BSS, it was agreed that Megan may continue to receive regular check-ins and help for the home, as well as advice on suitable methods of child discipline.
” We wanted to make sure Megan’s health right away while working with her family to find a more secure, long-term care layout.”
When ECDA spoke with the school about Megan’s condition a few days after receiving the statement, the preschool reported that she was recovering and was still able to attend the preschool every day.
There was no cause for ECDA to assume child abuse, according to the MSF, based on the information provided by the school.
The BSS community worker consulted a Child Protection Specialist Center ( CPSC ) after Megan left the preschool because she had concerns about the case, including Megan’s whereabouts.
The CPSC recommended that the BSS community worker continue to communicate with Megan’s grandmother to test her well-being in person.
Megan’s departure from school was also the subject of a community worker’s subsequent letter to ECDA. Additionally, they mentioned that they had contacted the CPSC regarding the case.
The group employee inquired to ECDA about the girl’s enrollment in any other preschools, but the agency was unable to locate any records of her enrollment.  ,
The organization instructed the group worker to request a police report if there were concerns about Megan’s locations.
The BSS group worker’s record, according to MSF, “did not fully explain the intensity of the injuries.”
The government continued,” This resulted in limited treatments by the appropriate companies.”
BSS is not a member of the national network of community service centers that are supported by MSF, it was stated.
BSS informed CNA that its team member had made an effort to keep Megan’s well-being by adhering to its established running treatments at the time.
The social services organization said the firm should consider how our safeguarding practices may be improved while these protocols had successfully served several low-income families.