SINGAPORE – A man decided to discipline his nine-year-old son by hitting him several times with two umbrellas and a cane after his wife suspected that the boy had stolen $50 during a birthday party.
He also used the cane to hit his wife when she tried to intervene.
After the beatings, the woman and the boy went to Changi General Hospital, where the latter was found with multiple red marks all over his body.
Court documents did not disclose details about the woman’s condition after the attack.
The 45-year-old man pleaded guilty on Thursday to assaulting his son. Another similar charge involving his wife will be taken into consideration during sentencing.
He cannot be named to protect the boy’s identity as those below 18 years old are covered under the Children and Young Persons Act.
The mother had accompanied their son to a birthday party on Nov 30, 2022. Before leaving the event, he told her that the birthday boy had handed him a $50 note.
She told her son to return the cash when she suspected that he was lying, and the boy complied.
The woman later told her husband about what had happened, and he decided to discipline the boy.
He used an umbrella to repeatedly strike the child’s palms and thighs. She told her husband to stop hitting their son when the boy began crying.
The man then ordered the boy to leave their unit before closing the door. She again intervened and allowed their son back into their home.
Seeing this, he used a bigger umbrella and hit the boy multiple times with it.
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Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordy Kay said: “The accused’s wife again tried to stop the accused from hitting their son. However, the accused did not stop, but instead took a cane and continued to hit his son’s body.
“The accused’s wife continued to plead with the accused to stop hitting their son. Instead of stopping, the accused also hit his wife with the cane after she attempted to shield their son while he was caning him.”
A witness who overheard the commotion alerted the police shortly before midnight that day.
The man eventually stopped the attack and left their home. Police arrived at the scene and arrested him when he returned soon after.
On Thursday, the DPP, who asked the court to sentence the man to between six and eight weeks’ jail, said: “Public policy requires that vulnerable members including children should be protected from violence and a deterrent sentence in the form of imprisonment should be imposed.”
The man will be sentenced in January 2024.
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