Police investigating 'unnatural death' of 14-year-old boy

[WhenItsLove]

Police investigating 'unnatural death' of 14-year-old boy

The boy, a secondary school student, lived on the 14th floor of Block 316A Yishun Avenue 9. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Published Jan 28, 2016, 10:29 am SGT
Lee Min Kok

SINGAPORE - The police are investigating the death of a 14-year-old boy, after his body was found at the foot of a HDB block in Yishun on Tuesday (Jan 26) afternoon.

The boy, a secondary school student, had been taken to Ang Mo Kio Police Division earlier that day at about 11.30am to assist with investigations into an alleged criminal offence.

According to Shin Min Daily News, police officers went to his school while classes were going on.

The boy was questioned over a police report filed on Monday.

It is understood that the case is an alleged outrage of modesty. The boy's father, speaking to Shin Min, revealed that his son had been recently accused of molesting a girl.

In a statement issued on Wednesday night, the police said the boy's mother had been informed and updated of the status of the investigation at various stages.

The boy had cooperated fully with the investigation and was released on bail into his mother's custody at around 2.50pm on Tuesday, police said.

He had reportedly gone to his room upon returning home from the police station.

However, he was found dead beneath Block 316A Yishun Avenue 9 - where he lived on the 14th floor - at 4.20pm.

In its statement, the police noted that the boy had not "exhibited any signs of being unduly distressed" throughout his two-hour engagement with them.

The death of the boy has been classified as a case of unnatural death.

 

[WhenItsLove]

Police to review the way youth are questioned

Published Feb 2, 2016, 5:00 am SGT
Calvin Yang

The police are reviewing their procedures for interviewing young persons after a 14-year-old boy fell to his death last week following questioning by the police.

A police statement yesterday said: "The police have been asked whether it should review the procedure to allow an appropriate adult to be present when a young person is interviewed. The police will review and address this issue."

Concerns have surfaced online following reports that the student was questioned by police at his school without his parents being present or aware of it.

Police said officers went in plainclothes and unmarked cars - "to keep investigations discreet" - to his school on Jan 26 after a report of molestation was lodged the day before.

Naming him for the first time in their statements, police said that after discussions with school officials, "Benjamin" was identified through closed circuit television records.

"He was brought to the principal's office by a school official and was spoken with in the presence of a police officer," police said.

Before he was taken to the Ang Mo Kio division for more interviews, he called his mother to let her know what was going on.

The police said an officer also spoke to his mother. At the division, Benjamin was interviewed by an investigation officer at his workstation in an open office.

Benjamin was later released on bail and left the headquarters with his mother, said the police.

According to media reports, he then went home to the family's 14th-floor flat in Yishun with his mother and sister. His mother said she found the window of his room open and rushed to the ground floor, to see him lying on the ground.

"Benjamin's passing was tragic," said the police, adding that they had met the family to address their questions and provide clarifications on the police officers' actions.

 

[WhenItsLove]

Death of 14-year-old: Schools must cooperate with police, but also have a duty of care to students, says MOE

Schools have a set of guidelines "which corresponds to the police's guidelines on working with minors", says the Ministry of Education. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Published 3 hours ago
Ng Huiwen

SINGAPORE - While schools are obliged to cooperate with police, they also have a duty of care to their students if they are involved in police investigations, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 2).

It came after a 14-year-old boy called Benjamin was found dead at the foot of his Housing Board block in Yishun, 90 minutes after being released from Ang Mo Kio Police Division. There, he had been questioned regarding an alleged molestation case.

The ministry has told The Straits Times that schools have a set of guidelines "which corresponds to the police's guidelines on working with minors".

It includes ascertaining the identities of officers who approach the schools, speaking to the student involved before the police and contacting the student's parent or guardian before the student leaves with the police.

"Our schools maintain the strictest confidentiality of the student's identity and the case, so as to protect our student's privacy and dignity," added the MOE spokesman.

"While the student is assisting in police investigations, the school will continue to keep in contact with the student and the parent or guardian to render the necessary support."

On Monday (Feb 1), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it will review its procedure on whether to allow an appropriate adult to be present when a young person is interviewed.

A spokesman for Benjamin's school confirmed that both he and the police had spoken to a parent before he was taken to the police station. The school principal also ensured that he had eaten his meal before that.

"His well-being has always been topmost in our minds," said the spokesman.

"We noted from the conversation that the parent would be going to the police station.

"Throughout the process, we were mindful that as a young student, he would be frightened and we strove to give him as much emotional support as possible."

The death of the boy has been classified as a case of unnatural death.

The school has said it is deeply saddened by the boy's death, noting that he was a good student who was well-liked by teachers and schoolmates. It is now focused on supporting the family and school community.

 

[Lockdown]

40-year-old man arrested for urging others to commit violence in Facebook comments relating to Benjamin Lim case

The man demanded to know the identity of the five plainclothes policemen involved in the Benjamin Lim case and urged others to kill them, in a Facebook post

Published 10 hours ago
Pang Xue Qiang

SINGAPORE - Police have arrested a 40-year-old man for posting comments on Facebook urging others to commit violence.

He was arrested on Wednesday (March 2) under Section 267C of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, after the police managed to establish his identity.

On Feb 8, the police received a report regarding a post made by a Facebook user which included the comment, "Please reveal the identity of the 5 plainclothes officers and we go handle them ourselves. Kill them."

The comment was posted in response to a news article on the death of Benjamin Lim, a 14-year-old boy who was under investigation for outrage of modesty.

Investigations are ongoing.

If convicted, he can be jailed for up to five years and fined.