Mum jailed for burning kids

[M.Bison]

May 19, 2010
Mum jailed for burning kids

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent
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A woman was jailed for 10 months by a Community Court on Wednesday for using a heated knife to burn the arms of her two young children on separate occasions. --ST FILE PHOTO

A WOMAN was jailed for 10 months by a Community Court on Wednesday for using a heated knife to burn the arms of her two young children on separate occasions. The 32-year-old woman, who cannot be named to protect the children's identities, admitted to ill-treating her then seven-year-old daughter in 2008 after she caught her stealing tidbits from a shop. She also admitted burning the left forearm of her eight-year-old son in March last year.

The court heard that the boy had been selling his school stationery to his friend for money since January last year. When the accused found out two months later, she heated a kitchen knife over the stove for a few minutes at home, and pressed the hot knife onto his left hand, burning his forearm.
A divorcee, the woman had custody of her two children then.

The offences came to light when her ex-husband noticed a swelling on his daughter's left temple on June 12 last year. He took her to KK Women's and Children's Hospital for medical examination and made the report the next day. The accused, who has since re-married and is now four months pregnant, could have been fined up to $4,000 and/or jailed for up to four years on each charge.

 

[chobolan]

Mother jailed for 10 months for ill-treating children


Mother jailed for 10 months for ill-treating children
By Leong Wee Keat | Posted: 19 May 2010 1549 hrs
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SINGAPORE: After finding out her daughter had stolen tidbits from a shop, a mother took a kitchen knife and heated it with a lighter for 10 minutes and placed the hot knife on the eight-year-old's right hand. Months later, the mother pressed a hot knife onto her son's hand (in March last year,) after she found out the nine-year-old was selling his school stationary to a friend for money.

This morning, the 32-year-old woman - who cannot be named to protect the identities of the two children - pleaded guilty to two charges of ill-treating her children in the Subordinate Court. And she was jailed 10 months for her two offences. The offences came to light after her ex-husband called the police. The couple had divorced in 2003 and the woman was awarded care and control of the children.

The ex-husband noticed an 8cm long lesion on the boy's left forearm during a meeting in June, last year. The ex-husband also noticed a swelling on the girl's left temple and ear in a subsequent meeting. She was later found with a 5cm long scar on her right hand. Medical reports opined the two children's scars were non-accidental injuries. Mr Amarick Gill, the mother's lawyer, pleaded for leniency. His client is currently four months pregnant and Mr Gill urged the Court to impose a fine, instead of a jail sentence.

However, deputy public prosecutor Ruth Wong argued the courts have taken a serious view of such cases as children are particularly vulnerable. District Judge Roy Neighbour had also noted previous similar cases had imposed jail sentences. The accused, who has re-married, could have been fined up to $4,000 and jailed for up to four years on each charge. The woman's husband and the two victims, who were present in Court for the hearing, left in tears afterwards. - CNA/fa