The teen who slashed a 13-year-old boy at River Valley High School (RVHS) in 2021 reportedly plans to plead guilty to culpable homicide.
His previous murder charge had been amended to culpable homicide following an assessment by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
The Deputy Public Prosecutor has tentatively set the date for the teen’s plea of guilt for 7 Aug.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the now 18-year-old accused shared his intention with the prosecution in a case conference on 21 Mar.
A district judge later transferred his case to the High Court, where he’ll be pleading guilty.
The teen’s lawyer apparently confirmed her client’s intention.
The Deputy Public Prosecutor thus determined 7 Aug to be the tentative date for the teen to do so.
If the teen is convicted of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, The Straits Times (ST) reports that he may face a maximum 20 years’ jail, a fine, caning, or any combination of these punishments.
Meanwhile, CNA states that the charge could amount to a lifetime imprisonment with caning.
The court had earlier amended the teen’s original murder charge after an IMH assessment found that he was suffering from clinical depression at the time of the incident.
He was apparently a patient at IMH two years prior, when he attempted to take his own life at the age of 14.
On 29 July 2021, the teen allegedly slashed a 13-year-old boy inside an RVHS toilet with an axe. He was 16 at the time.
Police later found the victim lying motionless at the scene.
Investigations subsequently found that both boys did not know each other.
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