Singapore caregiver jailed nearly 10 years, caned eight strokes for torturing schoolchildren

A Singaporean man, entrusted with the care of primary school pupils, has been sentenced to nearly ten years in prison and eight caning strokes for brutally abusing several children. The 31-year-old, who cannot be named due to victim confidentiality laws, pleaded guilty to charges of child abuse, causing grievous hurt, and providing false or misleading information to the Ministry of Manpower.

The abuse took place at a private educational facility where the man worked as a manager, looking after children aged between six and 11 in 2023. The most egregious incident involved a six-year-old Chinese boy, who was subjected to over 18 hours of violent punishment, including being forced to hold a push-up position for extended periods, being struck with a clothes hanger, made to sleep in a toilet, and made to drink his own urine when thirsty.

On one occasion, he was made to remain in a push-up position from 3:45 pm until the following morning, while other children ate dinner. By March 10, 2023, the abuse had lasted 18 hours, leaving the boy weak and needing hospitalization. Doctors diagnosed him with a lung injury, multiple rib fractures, kidney failure, muscle breakdown, and severe hypertension.

The man denied receiving any formal education or childcare training, despite having worked at the facility since 2016. The judge rejected the offender's plea for leniency, citing his own history of physical abuse as a child by an alcoholic father and gangster older brother as insufficient rationale for his violent actions.