Although the judge found that Lin Min had no malicious intent, she said that the teacher had disregarded the negative effects of her child abuse and should be punished accordingly.

Lin Min, 35, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of child abuse . The victims were aged between one and three years old. The children's names and the specific location of the incidents were not disclosed under privacy laws.

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Lin Min, a former Kinderland preschool teacher, arrives at court on November 19, 2024. Photo: CNA

"Irresponsible but not malicious behavior"

During the trial, Judge John Ng rejected the defence's argument that Lin acted out of concern for the child's well-being and that the incidents occurred because she was overzealous in her work.

"The accused showed a clear disregard for the negative impact of his actions in forcing the child to drink water," Judge John Ng stressed. "However, I accept that the accused did not act with malice."

He also noted that while the physical impact was not severe, the psychological damage to the victims, parents and other children who witnessed the incident was undeniable.

According to Channel News Asia , the court considered mitigating circumstances, including Lin's guilty plea, lack of criminal record and having spent two weeks in the Institute of Mental Health in 2023.

After the sentencing, Lin, through her lawyer, requested a one-week delay in the execution of her sentence to arrange for the care of her young child, who has special circumstances and is very attached to her.

Background of the case

Lin's case gained attention in 2023 after videos of the abuse went viral. Several other cases involving teachers in the same preschool system were later exposed. Lin was fired and banned from working in the preschool industry .

According to court records, on June 30, 2023, Lin forced a nearly 2-year-old girl to lie down and poured water into her mouth. The child coughed and choked on the water. After that, she frequently woke up in the middle of the night, crying and repeatedly saying “no” and “goodbye, teacher.”

Also in June 2023, Lin became angry and tried to force a 2-year-old boy to drink water by restraining him and forcing him to lie on the floor. A few days later, she continued to squeeze his forehead and tilt his head back to force him to drink water. Since then, the boy has had nightmares and screamed "no, no, I don't want to".

Prosecutor Jotham Tay stressed in his sentencing that Lin's actions amounted to "genuine cruelty." Meanwhile, his defense attorney argued that his client had no malicious intent, but was simply concerned that the child was dehydrated.

Under Singaporean law, child abuse is punishable by up to 8 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of SGD 8,000 (about VND 155 million).

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/co-giao-mam-non-bi-phat-tu-vi-ep-tre-uong-nuoc-2380618.html