Children can sometimes be a handful and a source of headache for grown-ups, but in no manner does it justify violent actions being done towards them as a way to get them to behave.
A Singaporean woman stunned the court after live footage of her whipping her son with a belt was shown, where it was so graphic to the point where the judge found it hard to watch the entire incident unfold.
SG woman whips 6yo son with belt over 100 times
According to a report by CNA back on Aug 17, 2023, the 32-year-old woman was living with her then-boyfriend, children, and relatives in 2020.
In the incident which occurred on May 11 of that year, she was in the bedroom with the victim, her 6-year-old son, who began misbehaving.
Angered by his actions, the woman punched her son and ordered him to do a handstand, a pose which the boy found hard to maintain.
For the next 10 minutes, the boy was beaten mercilessly all across his body and face with a belt for more than 100 times. In addition, he was also kicked and slapped by his mother. Despite his pleas for the abuse to stop, it was to no avail.
Lied to police about beating
The next day, the woman took her son to the neighbourhood police centre and lied by saying he was beaten by her boyfriend.
A doctor who later examined the boy found that he had suffered more than 50 bruises and abrasions. As for the woman, she was visited by a doctor from Institute of Mental Health and subsequently diagnosed with adjustment disorder with depressed mood.
‘Hard to watch’
In 2023, the woman pleaded guilty to one count under the Children and Young Persons Act of ill-treating a child in her care, reported CNA.
As for the second charge pertaining to her lying to police, it was also taken into consideration for sentencing.
On Friday (Aug 2), members of the public and the media were ordered to leave the courtroom before CCTV footage of the abuse was played. However, the boy’s pained cries were loud enough to be heard from outside.
In fact, it was so troubling that District Judge Carol Ling said she found it “hard to watch”, adding that “excessive force and violence, even in the name of discipline, cannot be tolerated”.
Nevertheless, she was of the opinion that it was an isolated incident that did not result in permanent injuries and believed the woman was remorseful for her actions.
The court also heard that the woman has since tried to repair her relationship with her son and is allowed to visit him under the supervision of a child protection officer.
The woman was eventually handed a 13-month jail sentence for the abuse, which will begin in September.
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