SINGAPORE: A 28-year-old man allegedly ill-treated two boys by physically abusing them with a clothes hanger, punching one of them and instructing the other to assume a push-up position.
The Singaporean man, who cannot be named due to gag orders protecting the identities of the boys, returned to court on Thursday (Jun 15) to face two charges of ill-treating boys in his care under the Children and Young Persons Act.
Details like the location of the incident and the ages of the boys cannot be published as they were covered by the gag order and redacted from court documents.
According to charge sheets, the man instructed the first boy to assume a push-up position sometime in January 2023.
While the boy was in this position, the man allegedly hit his buttocks numerous times with a clothes hanger.
At about 8pm on Mar 1, 2023, the man allegedly punched the second boy “numerous times” on his cheek. He also purportedly hit the child on his back with a clothes hanger.
It is unclear at this early stage of proceedings how the offences were uncovered, or what was his relation to the boys.
On Thursday, the court heard that a medical report from the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital was pending. The case was adjourned to July for a further mention.
If convicted of ill-treating a child in his care, the man can be jailed for up to eight years, fined up to S$8,000 (US$5,983), or both.