Part-time tuition teacher who struck, pinched 12-year-old student gets 4 weeks’ jail
SINGAPORE — A part-time mathematics tuition teacher who physically abused her 12-year-old student was sentenced to four weeks’ jail on Tuesday (Oct 1).
The court heard that a tutor promised a 12-year-old boy's mother not to harm him again, but three days later got angry and pinched the boy on his thighs, causing bruising and some bleeding.
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SINGAPORE — A part-time mathematics tuition teacher who physically abused her student was sentenced to four weeks’ jail on Tuesday (Oct 1).
Court documents stated that on Aug 15 in 2017, the tutor had used her knuckles to knock the 12-year-old victim on his head several times and that caused his head to bruise and swell. She also used her right hand to pull and twist his left ear.
The tutor, 50, and the victim, now aged 14, cannot be named due to a court order to protect the victim’s identity.
The boy went home crying and told his mother about the abuse. She sent a phone text message to the tutor, who admitted to the mother that she had hit the victim because he gave the wrong answers to questions.
As the victim’s exams were approaching, the mother decided to allow the tutor to continue with the lessons. She told the tutor not to hit her son again and believed that the tutor would not repeat her actions.
However, just three days later, the tutor used her right hand to pinch both of the victim’s thighs several times, leaving bruises.
The victim tried to move away, but the tutor held onto his thighs and continued to pinch him.
Later, the boy found bruises and slight bleeding on his thighs as well as fingernail marks on his left arm. He told his father, who took photographs of the injuries.
The mother filed a police report on Aug 19.
On Aug 26, the tutor pleaded guilty to two charges of voluntarily causing hurt.
BEHAVIOUR 'UNCHARACTERISTIC'
In mitigation, the tutor’s lawyer, Mr Gino Hardial Singh from Abbots Chambers LLC, said that she was sincerely remorseful and deeply regretted the distress which she has caused to the victim and his parents.
He added that when the incidents occurred, the tutor had just lost her mother to cancer and the “exhausting and traumatising process” had caused her to act in an “uncharacteristic manner”.
The tutor's father and older brother had also died of cancer.
For voluntarily causing hurt, she could have been jailed up to two years, fined up to S$5,000 or both.
The tutor will begin serving her jail sentence on Oct 29.
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