A 38-year-old man has been arrested following an incident at Westgate mall where he allegedly slapped a six-year-old boy.
Police received a call for assistance at approximately 2:40 PM at 3 Gateway Drive, prompting a swift response.
Authorities reported that the man was arrested for voluntarily causing hurt, with enhanced penalties applicable due to the age of the victim, who is under 14 years old.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted to the situation around 3:20 PM and transported the boy to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital for medical evaluation.
Investigations into the incident are currently ongoing.
(Translated via Google From Chinese to English)
According to the news report, Cai Zhenwei (35 years old, self-employed) told Lianhe Zaobao that his wife and her friend took their son to the playground to play that day. His wife was chatting with her friend at a distance and did not notice that her son had an argument with another girl.
“According to my wife, when my son was building a castle, the girl knocked down his castle and my son kicked her. When the girl’s father, who was nearby, learned about it, he walked towards my son and slapped him in the face.”
Cai Zhenwei pointed out that when the girl’s father later confronted his wife, he frequently swore. His wife did not know that her son had been slapped at the time and she even apologized to the girl’s father.
“An auntie who witnessed the incident later told my wife that he (the girl’s father) beat my son, so my wife went back to argue with him and then called the police.
“He said his son was so scared that he kept crying, and his little face was left with red and swollen scars, so he had to be sent to the hospital for examination”.
“Luckily, my son was fine and was discharged from the hospital the same day.”
He said indignantly that it is common for minor conflicts to occur between children. If the girl’s father is dissatisfied, he should go directly to the parents to mediate and should not hit the child.
“He may think he didn’t hit the child too hard, but he is so much bigger than the child, it would cause great harm to the child. I usually only hit my son’s hands and feet when I punish him, never his face”.
“When asked, the police confirmed that they had received a call for help. A six-year-old boy was reportedly slapped by a 38-year-old man and was sent to the hospital”.
As the case involved children under the age of 14, the man may face a heavier sentence.
The police investigation is ongoing.
Image via Shin Min
