The recent incident involving a sword-wielding man in Buangkok has left many Singaporeans stunned and bewildered.
Though his actions brought harm to others, there’s always the human side of such violence.
On Tuesday (15 Mar), Shin Min Daily News broke an exclusive interview with the wife of the assailant, who said her husband had promised not to re-offend after his latest release from prison.
With 4 daughters to care for, the 36-year-old woman said the recent incident left her in a difficult position. She even hinted at the idea of a divorce.
According to Shin Min Daily, the couple has been married for 13 years and has 4 daughters — the youngest was only 20 months old.
Given how young their kids were, the man’s wife, Yati – name transliterated from Chinese – shared that she’s unable to work and said her husband was the sole breadwinner.
As an Indonesian national, Yati holds a Long-Term Pass, which expires next year.
With the latest episode, the 36-year-old said she might not tolerate this any longer and hinted at a divorce.
However, Yati worries that she might have to leave Singapore after the divorce, and she can’t see her children anymore.
Speaking to reporters, Yati said she only knew about the incident when police officers came knocking on her door.
The 36-year-old shared that her husband had been incarcerated twice before the 14 Mar incident. He was also previously remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), where he was diagnosed with substance use disorder.
After being released from his latest sentence, the husband started working as a food delivery rider and vowed not to re-offend.
However, 3 months later, the man reportedly started consuming pills again.
On Monday (14 Mar) afternoon, a man was seen swinging a sword at several vehicles in Buangkok.
The man then walked to a traffic junction in front of Buangkok Square Mall and swung the sword at a passer-by.
Seeing this, several members of the public stepped forward and restrained the assailant before police officers arrived at the scene.
The 37-year-old man will be charged for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means on Wednesday (16 Mar).
Given how difficult it is to care for 4 children by herself, we empathise with Yati’s conflicted situation.
Nonetheless, we hope she would ponder her next move for her own sake and that of her children.
At the same time, we hope her husband receives all the help he needs so that he can turn over a new leaf and do right by his family.
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Featured image adapted from Telegram video.
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