Singapore dad jailed for kicking and hitting autistic boy at Yishun playground

A Singapore dad has been jailed for losing patience with autistic child and kicking and hitting him at an indoor playground in Yishun.

The incident happened on 9 April 2018 at Sunshine Childhood Playland in Yishun Avenue 2, and went viral after the boy's mother uploaded a video of it on social media.

"From the video, the dad kicked, pushed and rough handled a 5-year-old boy. Is this how a parent should treat other children?", she had asked.

Singapore dad jailed after losing patience with autistic child

Apparently, Soo Wen Jie, who is a father of 2 children (aged 10 months and 20 months), had lost his patience after seeing the 5-year-old boy "playing roughly" near his children in a sandpit.

The boy was seen trying to take a blue plastic shovel that Soo was holding on to, but Soo refused to let go of it. In frustration, the boy hit Soo's back.

Soo ended up kicking the child in the stomach, and hitting him later.

The victim's father had earlier said, "That night when he was taking a bath at home, he told my wife that his abdomen and area around his groin were hurting. 

"He told her that the 'uncle' at the playground was very fierce, and we all realised that something was wrong.

The boy was taken to Yishun Polyclinic the next day, where he was found with tenderness over his upper abdomen and breastbone.

On 4 June 2019, Soo was sentenced to a week in jail after pleading guilty to assaulting the child.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Chee stressed that he had assaulted a "very vulnerable victim".

The child had apparently had sleeping problems and nightmares after the incident, and had to consult a psychologist.

“When (his) mother hugged him, he cried and said ‘naughty uncle beat me’, ‘why uncle beat me?”, said DPP Chee, referring to a medical report.

DPP Chee said the man should have looked for the owner of the playground or the boy's parent instead of attacking the child multiple times.

Also READ: Boy with autism bullied by PE teacher, hit with volleyball

(Source: The Straits Times, Channel NewsAsia)