Father admits abusing 4 of his 5 children
A deliveryman, now 35, admitted in court on Thursday (July 21) to physically abusing four of his five young children – the youngest of whom was only five months old at that time.
The man, who cannot be named to protect his children’s identity, pleaded guilty to three counts of ill-treating a child, and one count each of endangering personal safety by performing a rash act, threatening a public service worker and voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
Another three counts of ill-treating a child and one count of intentionally causing alarm will be taken into consideration during sentencing.
On Feb 5, 2014, he found out from his wife that his eldest son, then nine, had been rude to her.
The man took a rubber hose and used it to hit the boy’s legs and arms. He also slapped and punched his face.
About a month later, he stepped on his second son’s left hand twice as well as his stomach.
The next day, the seven-year-old boy told his form teacher that his left hand was hurting and he was taken to hospital. A medical report later revealed he had a fracture on his wrist.
The father tossed a lit cigarette at his third son, now six, on March 8 this year, and it hit his face.
Sixteen days later, he grabbed his only daughter by one leg and dangled her upside down. He also tried to punch the five-month-old but failed.
The man threatened to commit suicide when a child protection officer from the Ministry of Social and Family Development went to their flat at around 6.15pm on April 13.
Later that day, he also carried his third son into the kitchen, opened a window and placed him on the ledge until the upper part of his body was hanging out of the sixth storey flat.
The man will be sentenced on Aug 4.
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