Preschool teacher who tripped toddler 4 times till she bled from nose jailed, Singapore News
Her actions caused the girl to suffer bruises to her face and bleeding from the nose, reported The Straits times and CNA.
Saiidah Kamarudin, 34, had pleaded guilty in June to one of two counts of ill-treating the 20-month-old girl in the case which occurred in November 2023. The other charge was taken into consideration for her sentencing.
Media reports did not name the victim and the childcare centre, to protect the girl's identity.
Saiidah, a mother of two herself, had started working at the centre in late September but tendered her resignation a month later.
On Nov 6, while serving her notice, she had taken the victim to the toilet area to clean her up. While seated with the girl in front of her, Saiidah swept her right leg outwards, which caught the toddler's left foot, causing her to stumble.
She repeated the action, which resulted in the girl falling backwards onto the floor. Saiidah picked her up and continued to clean her face.
Saiidah did the same thing for the third time as the pair were walking out of the area, with the victim walking in front of her. The girl managed to regain her balance after stumbling and did not fall.
The former teacher made one more attempt to trip the girl, this time catching both of her legs. The toddler fell on her face and cried.
Footage of the incident caught on CCTV was played in court, reported CNA.
According to The Straits Times, the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Cheah Wenjie had stated in court last month that the victim was found to be bleeding from her right nostril and there was a bruise under her nose.
The girl's parents took her to a doctor on Nov 8 and filed a police report two days later. They also asked to see CCTV footage of the incident.
Saiidah was arrested on April 18, 2024.
On July 28, the prosecution had urged the court to sentence her to a jail term of between 15 and 16 months, calling her actions "deliberate and calculated", as well as a "disturbing breach of trust by a childcare professional".
DPP Cheah also pointed out that the child was unable to tell anyone of the offences as she could not speak.
In her defence, Saiidah's lawyer Deepak Netverlal from Crown Juris Law argued that a jail term was not warranted, and that his client is remorseful for her actions.
He also highlighted the circumstances behind her resignation, including how her feedback on issues at the school were ignored and she was made to feel "like an outcast" and "not good enough" by other staff members.
"The accused acknowledges that she could have behaved better and that it was a solitary incident wherein she had lost her sense of judgment," he added.
According to the Children and Young Persons Act, anyone found guilty of ill-treating a child may be jailed up to eight years, or fined up to $8,000, or both.
[[nid:717727]]
candicecai@asiaone.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
4 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Cyprus revokes passports of Su Haijin and Wang Dehai amid $3b money laundering case, Singapore News
Two men involved in a large-scale money laundering scheme in Singapore have had their Cypriot citizenships revoked. Su Haijin and Wang Dehai were stripped of their Cypriot nationality after being convicted and sentenced by a Singapore court, reported Cyprus news outlet Politis on Aug 4. Originally from China's Fujian province, both men acquired their Cypriot passports under the then-active "citizenship-by-investment" programme, known locally as the "golden passports". "Golden passports" are typically granted by a country in exchange for a significant financial investment, donation, or purchase of real estate. In late 2020, Cyprus terminated its citizenship programme following a report by news outlet Al Jazeera. The report found that among the more than 2,500 individuals who obtained a Cypriot passport between 2017 and 2019, dozens had prior criminal convictions, were facing charges abroad, or were subject to international sanctions. To date, the Cypriot government has revoked the citizenship of 306 individuals, including 88 foreign investors and 218 of their family members. Su and Wang arrested in 2023 Su and Wang were among the 10 individuals arrested in August 2023, during a major operation by Singapore police targeting money laundering activities. All 10 originated from China, but some held foreign passports from countries such as Cyprus, Turkey, Vanuatu, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Cambodia, reported The Straits Times. The nine men and one woman have since been jailed, deported and barred from re-entering Singapore. The case was reportedly the largest money laundering case in Singapore's history, involving assets worth at approximately $3 billion. Unlicensed moneylending in China and remote gambling operations based in the Philippines were some of the activities linked to the case, reported CNA. Su was sentenced to 14 months in prison for one count of resisting lawful apprehension and two counts of money laundering. According to a statement by the Singapore Police Force last April, approximately 95 percent of his assets — worth more than $165 million — were forfeited as part of his sentencing. Wang Dehai, on the other hand, received a 16-month sentence for one count of money laundering, with around 90 per cent of his assets — valued at about $49.2 million — confiscated. Multi-passport offenders may choose where to be deported Due to the speed and ease with which some countries grant citizenship or long-term residency, nations offering "golden passport" programmes are also facing growing pressure to end them. Countries such as Vanuatu, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Cyprus are among at least 14 nations flagged by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and placed on a watchlist, reported The Straits Times. On July 2, 2024, then Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sun Xueling, addressed concerns in Parliament regarding foreigners convicted in Singapore who hold multiple passports. Sun noted that such individuals may indicate their preferred country of deportation. However, the decision depends on the validity of their travel documents. "There needs to be an assessment by the ministry as to whether or not the individual can be admissible based on the travel document that he or she holds," said Sun. [[nid:692671]]
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Elderly man accused of obscene acts against children aged 8 and 12, taking explicit photos
SINGAPORE: A 69-year-old man is accused of performing sexual acts on two children who were aged eight and 12 or 13 when the alleged offences took place. The Singaporean man also allegedly took photos of the older child's private parts with a camera at a flat in Bedok. The man was handed a total of seven charges on Thursday (Aug 7). He faces six counts of committing an obscene act against a child under the Children and Young Persons Act, and one of intentionally producing child abuse material. CNA is not naming the man as there is a gag order protecting the identities of the children and forbidding the publication of anything that could lead to their identification. According to charge sheets, the offences took place between November 2020 and June 2022 at the same flat. On three occasions between Nov 5 and Nov 11, 2020, the man allegedly used a digital camera to take 62 pictures of the genital region of the older child, a boy, who was 12 years old at the time. Sometime in March 2021, he allegedly performed a sex act on the same boy. On Mar 5, 2021, he allegedly performed sex acts on the boy and kissed him. This happened again on Aug 6, 2021, charge sheets alleged. Sometime in March 2021, the man allegedly performed a sex act on the younger child, then aged eight. The gender of the child was not apparent in charge sheets as the child's name was redacted. He then performed a sex act on the older child again in June 2022. The boy was 13 by this time. The nature of the relationship, if any, between the man and the victims is unclear at this early stage of proceedings. The man said he intended to plead guilty to all the charges except the charge involving the eight-year-old. He indicated his intention to apply for a lawyer from the Public Defender's Office and was told where to go after the hearing to begin the application process. He will return to court in September. For each charge of committing an obscene act against a child, he faces up to seven years' jail, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. If he is a repeat offender, the maximum jail term increases to 10 years and the maximum fine to S$20,000 for each charge. The penalty for intentionally producing child abuse material is a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine or caning. However, the accused cannot be caned as he is above the age of 50.
AsiaOne
7 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Man, 27, arrested in Woodlands for weapons, vapes and illegal cigarettes, Singapore News
A 27-year-old man was arrested in Woodlands on Wednesday (Aug 6) for allegedly possessing weapons, e-vaporisers (also known as vapes), and duty-unpaid cigarettes. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 2 and Avenue 5 at about 5.45am. The man was arrested for offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 and Gun, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021, as well as suspected drug-related offences. He was suspected to have in possession knife-related weapons, reported The Straits Times. The police said it also found e-vaporisers and duty-unpaid cigarettes in his vehicle. A seven-second clip uploaded to Xiaohongshu shows at least seven police vehicle lined up along Woodlands Avenue 5. Officers are seen near the man's car and laying down on the roadside grass items seized from the vehicle. The police said the suspected drug-related offences have been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau. The vapes and duty-unpaid cigarettes will be referred to the Health Sciences Authority and Singapore Customs respectively. Investigations are ongoing. [[nid:721030]]
