SINGAPORE: A preschool teacher tripped a 20-month-old girl four times with her right leg, causing the child to fall on her face during one incident and bleed from her nose.
On June 16, Saiidah Kamarudin, 34, who is no longer working at the preschool, pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating the toddler.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie told the court that Saiidah committed the offence shortly after she tendered her resignation on Oct 12, 2023.
Details about the preschool have been redacted from court documents.
On Nov 6 that year, Saiidah was tasked to help take care of a playgroup, which the victim attended.
Shortly before 12.30pm, she took the little girl to a toilet area to clean up.
DPP Cheah said: “While cleaning the victim’s face, the accused used her right leg to sweep outwards from her left to her right, catching the victim’s left leg and tripping her.
“As a result of the trip, the victim stumbled, but did not fall down.”
Saiidah immediately used the same leg to trip the toddler for the second time, causing the child to fall backwards onto the floor.
Saiidah picked the girl up and resumed cleaning her face with a piece of tissue.
They were about to walk out of the toilet area when Saiidah positioned herself behind the child.
Using a similar method, she tripped the toddler for the third time. The child stumbled forward but did not fall, the court heard.
She managed to regain her balance and walked forward, with Saiidah following behind.
At 12.30pm, she tripped the toddler yet again. This time, the victim fell forward onto her face and started crying.
Saiidah picked her up and another teacher who heard the cries came over to check on the child.
The prosecutor said: “At this juncture, the victim was bleeding from her right nostril, and there was a bruise under the victim’s nose.”
“(The other teacher) took the victim from the accused, performed first aid on her and put the victim to nap thereafter. By the time the victim finished her nap, the right side of the victim’s face had swelled up.”
The DPP added that a CCTV camera at the school captured Saiidah committing the offence.
The victim’s parents took her to a doctor on Nov 8, 2023. A medical report stated that the child had a mild bruise below her nostril.
The father filed a police report two days later, stating that his daughter was injured after falling at the preschool.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with the school’s explanation and response to the case, the man also asked to see the CCTV footage of the incident.
The prosecutor told the court that Saiidah’s employment at the school ended on Nov 14, 2023, and she was arrested on April 18, 2024.
Her mitigation and sentencing are expected to take place on July 28. - The Straits Times/ANN
