SINGAPORE: A former early intervention teacher at a childcare centre was sentenced to 1½ years’ jail on Monday (June 22) after she used a pen to repeatedly stab the head of a six-year-old boy with special needs for no apparent reason.
The 45-year-old woman had earlier pleaded guilty to ill-treating the boy, who sustained several wounds.
He was said to have been traumatised for weeks and became more needy.
The woman cannot be named owing to a gag order to protect the identity of the victim. Details about the childcare centre also cannot be disclosed due to the order.
In earlier proceedings, the court heard that the child has autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
He could speak only one word at a time when the incident occurred.
The woman was his form teacher and the only adult in the classroom at around 3pm on Nov 16, 2022.
When she saw the boy walking towards a table where some stationery was kept, she picked up a pen, rushed towards him and stabbed his head several times with it.
The victim moved away from her, crouched with one knee on the ground, and fell backwards near a mat.
Despite this, the offender continued using the pen to stab his head.
She later walked away, leaving the boy on the mat.
Fearing the repercussions of her actions, the woman sent a photograph of his injuries to a group chat that included his parents and the principal, claiming the boy had used toys to hit himself.
The woman also called the victim’s mother and repeated the lie.
Refusing to believe the offender, the mother asked the principal to look into the matter.
The offence came to light after the principal viewed footage from a CCTV camera in the classroom.
On Nov 17, 2022, the principal told the mother about the findings and alerted the police. The offender’s employment was terminated that day.
The mother took her son to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where he was found to have three abrasions on his scalp and left eyebrow ridge.
He was given nine days of medical leave. The victim still has a scar on his left forehead, the court heard.
According to his mother, the incident left him traumatised, and he often cried in the three weeks after the incident, especially at night, for no apparent reason.
He became more needy, and his parents had to spend more time to care for him.
His appetite was also affected for about two to three months.
On June 22, the offender was offered bail of $15,000. She is expected to begin serving her sentence on July 6. - The Straits Times/ANN
