In a tragic case from 2021, a 15-year-old girl found that she had become pregnant after having sex with her 14-year-old boyfriend.
The couple tried to abort the baby in several ways, including having the boyfriend knee her in the stomach.
In June of that year, the girl gave birth alone in her bedroom while on video call with her boyfriend. She buried the stillborn in her garden.
The boy pleaded guilty today (13 Dec) to sexual penetration of a minor and abetting the concealment of a child’s birth.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the couple began dating in secondary school in 2020. The boy was 14 and the girl was 15 at the time.
In July 2020, the two started having sex in the boy’s house. As he had difficulty buying condoms due to being a minor, they proceeded with unprotected sexual intercourse.
In Jan 2021, the girl noticed that she had not had her period. Her boyfriend bought a pregnancy test kit online and the results came back positive.
The couple hid the news and attempted several abortion methods, including pills that they sourced online, reported Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
When those failed, the accused punched and kneed his girlfriend in the stomach with her consent.
On 10 June 2021, the girl started suffering labour pains. She contacted her boyfriend on video call, and he stayed on the call throughout the childbirth process.
The victim eventually gave birth to a stillborn boy past midnight on 11 June in her bedroom. She reportedly cut the umbilical cord with a pair scissors.
The teen then followed her boyfriend’s instructions to cut the placenta and flush it down the toilet.
Next, she allegedly wrapped her baby in newspapers and kept him in a cabinet. The boyfriend told the girl that this was risky and urged her to bury the stillborn in her garden.
Two days after the birth, she buried the dead foetus in the garden of her home as instructed.
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The couple broke up in Mar 2022. Upon noticing her daughter’s unhappy mood, the girl’s mother asked her if anything was wrong.
The teen then confessed about the pregnancy and childbirth to her mother, who contacted the police. They also recovered the buried stillborn from the garden.
In June 2023, the former boyfriend received one charge of sexual penetration of a minor and abetting the concealment of a child’s birth.
He pleaded guilty to both today (13 Dec).
The accused is currently 18 but has his identity concealed due to committing the crime while underaged.
However, The Straits Times reported him as being part of a “popular school in Singapore”.
The defendant’s lawyers stated that their client was a first-time offender. They cited his immature age as the reason for the crimes, which they deemed happened in the spur of the moment.
Additionally, they said that he obtained good academic results and came from a well-structured family.
The defence further alleged that the teen admitted to the charges in a statement and wanted to move on.
The judge deliberated on the calling of a probation suitability report, where an officer would assess the defendant’s suitability for probation.
Additionally, consideration was given to calling a reformative training report. According to Singapore Legal Advice, the report assesses the accused on suitability for comprehensive rehabilitation in a training centre.
The defence lawyers requested the court not call a reformative training report as their client would serve National Service in Jan 2024.
The judge thus called for a probation suitability report, with the sentence to be handed in January.
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CNA reported that the penalties for sexual penetration of a minor are a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine or caning.
The penalty for abetting in concealment of childbirth is a maximum of two years’ jail and/or a fine.
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