Last Saturday, a five-year-old boy was allegedly kicked and slapped by a stranger for no reason at a minimart in Block 182A, Rivervale Crescent. In her anger, his mother took to Facebook on Tuesday to recount the incident, claiming that the police had not taken action against the man for his abusive actions.
Vivien Chan alleged that police officers did not immediately arrest the man, even though there was CCTV footage proving the incident actually occurred, and revealed her dismay at what she perceived as a lack of action on the part of the police.
As these things go, Chan’s post quickly went viral, with emotions running high among netizens who reacted to her account. The following day, the Singapore Police Force responded to the incident on its Facebook page, acknowledging that it was notified of Chan’s police report on Saturday. However, based on the preliminary details, the police explained that the case was classified as Voluntarily Causing Hurt, which is a “non-arrestable offence”.
Officers have since interviewed the man and engaged the parents of the boy to offer updates on the case.
The statement added that investigations are ongoing, as the police “take a serious view of such incidents involving vulnerable victims like children and the elderly, and will not hesitate to take action against the perpetrator.”
