On that fateful day (26 Jan), 14-year-old Benjamin jumped to his death from his 14th-storey bedroom window after a three-hour police interview.
He was accused of molesting an 11-year-old when he followed her into a lift and his actions were caught on CCTV but the footage is classified.
On 4 Feb, Benjamin’s father wrote an open letter to The Online Citizen explaining the details which led to his death.
His father was very emotional in his writing as he was still grieving over the loss of his son.
One thing was clear: Benjamin’s parents were enraged by how the school and police handled the situation.
They felt that the school’s actions were not sufficient and the police on the other hand neglected the emotional state of their son.
His father said:
I hate to think of the amount of fear he had at that moment, how helpless he was then. To be escorted to the car park from the principle’s office, one student in uniform accompanied by a few adults in civilian clothes with police ID cards, how discreet this could be?
He also added,
My boy had his last meal in the school, a cold bun.
Many parents have expressed concern after the death of Benjamin. They agree with Benjamin’s father that the boy should not have been arrested in this manner.
Brenda Tan, one of the writers of The Middle Ground, wrote an objective piece from a parent’s point of view.
She said,
I wonder if any staff would allow their own children to be taken into custody in the same manner? I find it highly unlikely.
However, the reason why Benjamin’s mom was not allowed to be present during the interview was because of the police’s fear that the presence of a non-neutral individual could upset the interviewing process.
Parents, on the other hand, argued that a familiar adult could help stabilise the child’s emotions during the course of an arrest and interview.
Benjamin’s mother said her son’s hands were freezing cold and he hardly spoke. Benjamin’s sister added that he was in a daze before eventually killing himself.
The Straits Times reported that the police are currently reviewing the way youths are being questioned.
The police identified Benjamin to be the boy who molested an 11-year-old girl from a CCTV footage, hence his arrest.
Benjamin admitted to the crime when questioned by the police but told his mom that he did not do it after the interview.
Benjamin had said:
You (the investigating officer) say I am guilty, I’m guilty then.
Evidently, besides the CCTV footage, there is no other evidence against Benjamin and there is a pending coroner hearing.
Thus far, there has been no news about the victim on how she reported the incident and how it happened from her side.
The whole outrage of modesty case is marred by Benjamin’s death.
People said that there is no justice for Benjamin, including his father. But if Benjamin did commit the crime, what about the 11-year-old girl, who is even more vulnerable than he is?
Tributes to Benjamin.
The most important question for now is, “Is Benjamin guilty?”
If he is guilty, people would probably not be so harsh on the police’s negligence.
However, if Benjamin is innocent, another can of worms will be opened.
The police’s carelessness in identifying the wrong child in the footage would be enough to infuriate the public, especially Benjamin’s family.
Anyhow, his death could have been avoided.
Benjamin died in vain because whether he committed the crime or not, he did not have to pay with his life.
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Featured image via The Online Citizen
With reference to The Straits Times, The Online Citizen, The Middle Ground
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