On Wednesday (14 May), a 67-year-old cleaner was sentenced to 11 months and two weeks in jail for molesting a 10-year-old girl on two separate occasions within a primary school compound.
The perpetrator, whose name has been withheld from court documents, pleaded guilty to two counts of outrage of modesty.
However, he is exempt from caning as he is over the age of 50.
The offences occurred in May 2024 while the cleaner was employed at a primary school.
At around 11.15am during recess, he approached the girl as she stood near the school canteen.
He hugged her from the front and moved his body in a sexually inappropriate manner.
The victim did not return the hug and quickly ran into the canteen after he released her.
Later, while she was seated at a table, the cleaner sat beside her and placed his arm around her back, only leaving when a male student approached.
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Approximately 15 minutes later, the girl was heading back to class when the cleaner approached her again and tried to kiss her.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Xavier Tan said the victim “cringed and turned her head away” to avoid the kiss, before walking off to rejoin her classmates.
Later that same day, during a Physical Education (PE) class held in the school’s indoor sports hall, the victim was playing alone with a ball when the cleaner approached her again.
He hugged her from behind and moved his body in a lewd manner, prompting her to shout: “Don’t touch me!”
Despite this, he did not stop.
After releasing her, he moved in front of her and hugged her a second time, once again behaving inappropriately.
The victim dropped the ball during the encounter before he let go.
She later reported the encounter to her teacher, and the police were alerted.
The man was subsequently charged in court later that year.
Footage of the incident was presented in court, clearly showing the cleaner committing the acts while other students were present nearby.
Under the law, each count of molestation involving a person under the age of 14 carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a fine, caning, or a combination of these.
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Featured image by MS News.