WHAT HAPPENED
The victim was then a Primary 2 student between seven and eight years old, and the accused was her Chinese language and form teacher.
The offence occurred in 2019 when the girl approached the teacher’s table to find out the name of a song in the music video he was playing from a laptop. She was in her classroom.
Nearing the end of class, the girl stood to the left of the accused to look at the screen while the man sat on the teacher’s chair.
The man then placed his hand under the girl’s skirt and touched her inner thigh for a few seconds, causing the girl to feel uncomfortable.
There were no other students at the teacher’s table then.
She told him that the touch felt “itchy” before joining her classmates for recess.
When she was in primary 5, the girl informed her school’s vice-principal about the molestation on Apr 28, 2022. Court documents did not describe what led to this moment.
A psychiatrist who assessed the victim in April 2023 said that the girl felt “scared and angry” after the incident with suicidal thoughts.
“She had recurrent thoughts and flashbacks about the offence. The victim also expressed a fear of males and reported difficulty trusting others, which (the psychiatrist) opined could lead to problems with interpersonal relationships later in life,” the prosecution said.
The prosecution argued for eight to 10 months’ jail, noting how the accused had only pleaded guilty “on the doorstep of trial”.
The man’s lawyer Anil Sandhu described his client as apologetic and informed the court that he is father of three young children. His wife was present for his hearing.
District Judge Lim Tse Haw noted how teachers were held in high regard by society and trusted by parents to “impart knowledge and good moral values” in students.
“Hence when our teachers breach that sacred trust and instead violate the modesty of our students, they must expect to receive a deterrent sentence, so that a clear message is sent out that society views such serious (offences) with opprobrium,” Judge Lim said.
He took into account the victim’s young age but noted that the touch was fleeting and did not intrude on her private parts.
For molesting a person under 14, an offender can be jailed up to five years, or fined, or caned, or any combination of the penalties.
