Singapore jails man for slapping preschooler at bus stop over rude gesture

Firdhaus pleaded guilty to one count each of voluntarily causing hurt and using criminal force on a minor, with a third charge taken into consideration.

At about noon on March 6 this year, Firdhaus went to his son’s preschool to pick the boy up. The name of the preschool was redacted in accordance with the gag order, which prevents the publishing of anything that can identify the victim.

Firdhaus’ son was playing with the victim when the victim pointed his middle finger at Firdhaus.

Firdhaus was angered and called the boy to come over but the boy ignored him and skipped towards his domestic helper.

The helper was at a bus stop outside the school where other preschool children, including the victim’s friends, were waiting.

Firdhaus followed the boy to the bus stop and grabbed him by the arm.

When the boy tried to break free, Firdhaus told the helper to tell his parents not to let him point his middle finger at others and threatened to slap him.

The boy tried to hide behind a pillar, but Firdhaus pulled him out by his collar and slapped him on the right cheek with the back of his hand.

He then slapped the boy’s left cheek and ear with such force that the child fell to the ground.

When the helper tried to help the boy up and pull him away, Firdhaus kept his grip on the boy’s arm.

He shoved a finger in the boy’s face, threatening to break his finger and shouting that he would return for him on Monday.

Firdhaus then swung the boy backwards, causing him to stumble backwards before leaving.

The assault was witnessed by members of the public at the bus stop, including several preschool children and captured on police camera footage.

The helper brought the crying boy home, where his mother noticed redness around his ears, cheeks and jaw.

At the hospital, he was found to have bruises on both cheeks and was discharged with a five-day course of paracetamol for pain relief. The hospital lodged a police report.

Shaken by the assault, the boy wept twice in his sleep that night and did not dare to attend school for the next few days.

In the months after the assault, he asked his mother anxiously whether the next day was Monday and whether he had to go to school.

He feared going to school because “I am scared the uncle will slap me hard again”.

His parents eventually transferred him to another school.

But he continued to have flashbacks of the assault and cried for prolonged periods. He also continues to have nightmares of the assault to this day.

Deputy public prosecutor Etsuko Lim sought four to six months’ jail, listing multiple aggravating factors including the sustained aggression and the viciousness of the slaps.

She said Firdhaus was brazen, slapping the child in broad daylight at a crowded bus stop, alarming and shocking bystanders.

The assault was also “deeply scarring” on the young victim, who would have taken the threat to break his finger seriously since he had also made good on the threat to slap him.

Firdhaus was represented by Daryl Lim from the Public Defender’s Office, who said there was no version of events that day that was “acceptable by any means”.

“A young child was hurt both physically and emotionally, and my client does own that fully,” he said.

The mother of the victim was in court with family members.

She told the court that although her son was recovering, he was not “recovering fully” as he still has nightmares. His confidence level has also gone down, she said.

“I must say that I’m very perturbed with this incident,” said the woman while Firdhaus stood stiffly in the dock.

“We had to engage in a lot of activities to keep him occupied to gain his confidence back again, to assure him that things are as normal,” she said.

“It also perturbs me to the fact that, now, it puts the puzzle into the picture on why my son has been asking [about] Monday,” the boy’s mother said.

“Because I’ve never known from him that he actually was being threatened to [have his finger broken] or [that the accused would] see him on the following Monday.”

She said she did not want to prolong her son’s distress, especially since the other child involved was his classmate and had been in the same class as her son since play group.

“As [his] mother, I felt that we want to have a closure for him,” the woman said. “And we also hope that the accused will acknowledge the harm that he caused and apologise to [my son].”

She said that while an apology cannot undo what happened or restore her son’s sense of safety, it is important to the family.

Firdhaus then apologised to the victim’s family in court.

“To the victim’s family and everybody in the court, I wish to sincerely apologise for the actions that I did, and I hope you really forgive me and also give me a chance to be a better man in the future,” he said.

The victim’s mother also asked to see the footage of the assault, but was told to ask the investigating officer.

District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan said inflicting such raw violence on a young victim was “a vile and intolerable act”.

“Such violence would not have been morally justified, had the accused committed the same acts against his own children at home, let alone a child he was not even acquainted with in a public and crowded setting where other children were present,” he said.

He agreed with the prosecution on several of the aggravating factors, saying the emotional turmoil suffered by the victim and his family was “particularly weighty”.

Firdhaus asked to defer his jail term until November 13, as his wife, who was also in court, is 23 weeks’ pregnant.

His lawyer said the couple have a hospital appointment on November 12, as the fetus remains in a breech position. They will obtain advice on whether that will necessitate an earlier delivery.

The judge noted that granting the request may lead to further applications for deferment, such as if Firdhaus’ wife requires surgery.

However, he granted the application when Firdhaus gave his word that he would surrender on November 13, and not seek further deferments.

The judge allowed the victim’s family to leave the courtroom first before allowing Firdhaus and his wife to leave.

For voluntarily causing hurt to a minor, he could have been jailed for up to six years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

For using criminal force on a minor, he could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$3,000, or both.