A 36-year-old Singaporean woman and her partner face charges for abusing her 11-year-old special needs daughter.
According to Singaporean portal Mothership, the woman and her boyfriend, both 36, began living together in February 2020. At first, the man had a positive relationship with the girl, who has autism, a mild fluency disorder, and dyslexia.
However, the situation worsened as the couple began punishing the child frequently due to behavioural issues. The abuse started from only a hanger to a cane.
They also claimed they tried to find alternative methods to deal with the girl and had searched online to find recommendations on how to improve the victim’s behaviour.
Court documents revealed the mother’s consistent presence during abusive incidents and that she had permitted him to do so.
On August 22, 2020, the woman only watched as her partner used a leather belt to strike her daughter approximately 20 times.
The incident was uncovered when a school teacher noticed bruises on the victim’s arms and legs. The teacher reported the matter to the school, which then notified the island republic’s Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).
Later that day, an MSF child protection officer took the victim to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where a medical report documented at least 13 injuries, including a swollen cheek, bruises on her arms and both legs.
The girl was subsequently hospitalised for 10 days.
When arrested, the couple admitted they had “gone overboard” and “punished the victim very harshly”.
A medical report dated February 22, 2021, found the child was experiencing emotional trauma from the abuse.
The woman has pleaded guilty to ill-treating her child and her sentencing, along with her partner’s, will be determined at a later date.
A gag order protects the identities of those involved to safeguard the victim.
