Not only did this 10-year-old kid have to experience the stress of witnessing his parents’ marriage crumble — he had to endure a severe beating by his own father.
Now 51 years old, the man was sentenced to a year in prison for causing grievous hurt to his son, The Straits Times reported. The assault took place in their house in Yio Chu Kang on May 28, 2015, and resulted in a fracture to the boy’s right eye socket. During the period of time, he and the boy’s mother had been undergoing divorce proceedings following years of soured relations.
On the day of the assault, the man had returned home in the afternoon and proceeded to scold his son over unsatisfactory grades at school. At night, he had some drinks and went to discuss his son’s situation with his wife. It was upon hearing the discussion that the boy questioned the father: “You like that woman more than us. Why do you care for us so much?”
The woman referred to here was an alleged mistress, but the accusations weren’t verified in court papers.
After the boy repeated his remark, the father snapped, and proceeded to kick his son’s face and body. The 10-year-old’s hair and arms were pulled as well.
The mother was said to have tried to intervene by shielding the boy with her body, but the man kicked and pushed her, causing her to fall backwards into a vase and a safe. The man continued to punch the boy’s face after hearing him using an expletive.
Police officers — called in by the family’s domestic helper — arrested him when they arrived at the house. The boy was taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where he received treatment for multiple injuries, including a bruised forehead and a fractured eye socket.
In court, the man originally claimed trial to the offence but later decided to plead guilty. The prosecution sought a 15-month jail term, arguing that the man assaulted a vulnerable victim.
The man is currently out on bail while he considers appealing the sentence.
