Teacher claims trial to 3 charges of molesting 12-year-old male student
SINGAPORE — A teacher on Monday (24 August) claimed trial to three charges of molesting a male primary school student in 2017.
The 35-year-old man is contesting the charges of molesting the victim, then 12, on 15 and 16 June 2017.
On the afternoon of 15 June, the teacher is said to have tapped the boy’s genitals over his shorts and inserted his hand into the boy’s shorts and underwear to touch his penis.
He is said to have attempted to touch the boy’s penis over his shorts on the morning of 16 July.
A charge of showing the boy a pornographic video on his laptop on 15 June 2017 and a charge of voluntarily causing hurt to the boy in April 2017 by grabbing his wrist and slapping his cheek will be stood down during the trial.
Both the victim and the teacher cannot be named due to a gag order.
The victim, now 16, is expected to take the stand at the start of the trial, which is expected to last until Thursday.
If convicted of molesting a person under 14, the teacher may be jailed up to five years, or fined, or caned, or any combination of the penalties.
In reply to queries, a Ministry of Education spokesperson said the teacher had been suspended from service since July 2017, and was no longer teaching in any school.
It added, “MOE takes a serious view of staff misconduct and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to our standards of conduct and discipline, including dismissal from service.”
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