A 59-year-old Malaysian, Singapore permanent resident has been accused of sexually assaulting a two-year-old girl in a pre-school, leading to his dismissal.
The man appeared in court on December 6, facing a charge of using criminal force on a person below 14 years old with the intent to outrage modesty.
Due to a gag order protecting the victim’s identity, the man cannot be named.
According to the ST report, he allegedly placed his right hand inside the toddler’s diaper and used his fingers to molest her. The incident occurred on November 9, between 1 pm and 3 pm, although the location of the incident has been redacted.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) confirmed that the man, who held a non-teaching staff position, had been dismissed from the pre-school upon discovering the incident. The ECDA has also barred the individual from working within the pre-school sector while investigations are ongoing.
During the court hearing, the prosecution revealed that it believes the accused may have been involved in other similar cases. Subsequently, the judge granted the prosecution’s application to remand the accused for one week, allowing for further investigations.
If found guilty, the accused could face up to five years in jail, a fine, caning, or a combination of these punishments, under the charge leveled against him.
The ECDA became aware of the case on December 5 and immediately instructed the pre-school to intensify monitoring of all children and provide enhanced supervision and guidance to its staff. The agency emphasized its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of enrolled children and the importance of prompt reporting of any serious incidents affecting child safety.
Furthermore, the ECDA confirmed that it conducts rigorous background checks on pre-school staff, including screening for past criminal offenses involving children or prior restrictions from working in the sector. Failure to promptly report such incidents may result in action being taken against the pre-school.
“ECDA expects all pre-schools to report all serious incidents that affect the safety of children within 24 hours,” it said.
“If it is proven there is unreasonable delay in the reporting, we will take the pre-school to task.”
The case has been adjourned until December 13, as investigations continue, the report added.
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