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Man allegedly grabbed & slapped boy, 4, twice at Woodlands, family seeking witnesses
It caused bruising and swelling on the boy's cheeks, according to the family.
Xueting Wu
March 07, 2026, 01:24 PM
The family of a four-year-old boy is seeking witnesses to an alleged incident where the boy was grabbed by the collar and slapped twice across the face by a man in Woodlands.
They believe the purported aggressor is the father of the boy's preschool classmate, and not personally known to the family.
The incident happened at around 12pm on Mar. 6, near the Block 875 Woodlands Street 83 bus stop, according to the family's helper, who was with the boy at the time.The family has reported the incident to the police.
In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that a report had been lodged and investigations are ongoing.
Playing catch
Before the alleged slapping, the boy's preschool had just let out.
While waiting for the bus to go home, he started playing catch with two other classmates near the bus stop.Among these classmates was the son of the purported aggressor, and he was the "catcher" in the game.
When he got caught by this classmate, the boy gestured with his middle finger in his direction, according to the family's helper.
He did so in the excitement of the game, "without understanding its meaning or with any ill intent", the family told Mothership.
Allegedly slapped
The father of the "catcher" classmate then allegedly grabbed the boy by the collar in anger and slapped him across the face.When the helper tried to pull the boy away, the man reportedly held on to the boy and slapped him again, harder. The boy broke down crying.
The helper, shaken by what had just happened, did not know what to do and decided to get the boy home first.
She later estimated that there had been three or four people nearby at the time, but no one intervened at first, possibly assuming that the man was the boy's father.When they noticed that she was distressed and crying, however, they asked her what had happened, and then advised her to call the boy's mother immediately.
The school's response
According to the family, the boy's preschool is aware of the incident and has expressed support for the boy.
Soon after the incident, the purported aggressor had gone to the school to inform the teachers that he had slapped the boy, the family said.Emotionally affected
Following the incident, the boy's family brought him to a hospital for a check-up.The doctors noted bruises and swelling on both of the boy's cheeks, the family told Mothership.
They added that apart from physical injuries, the incident has affected him emotionally.
"He has said that he does not want to go to school because he is afraid," the boy's cousin shared. "At the same time, he is trying his best to continue with his usual routine."When the family tried to ask him about what happened, he would get emotional and start to cry.
"It has been extremely difficult for the parents to see such a young child carry this fear and confusion, especially when he does not fully understand why this happened to him," the cousin added.
The family believes that accounts from any other witnesses can help to provide more clarity on what happened.The MP for Sembawang GRC, Mariam Jaafar, commented on the boy's parent's Instagram post detailing the incident, and urged people to let the police finish the investigation, and focus on helping the child's recover.
She also said, "It is a good moment to remember that we can all step up and help when we see something bad happen before us. Let's take care of one another especially of our children".
