A Singaporean mother has been sentenced to 7 years in jail after she brutally threw her 2-year-old daughter to the floor, causing her untimely death.
According to court documents, the 30-year-old housewife was diagnosed with a major depressive disorder (MDD) which “substantially impaired her mental responsibility” at the time of her cruel outburst.
The attack
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In April last year, the mother who cannot be named due to a gag order, became angry at her daughter after she defecated on a towel after her bath.
As she carried her daughter back to the bathroom, some faeces dropped onto the floor. The mother started to scold her daughter and got even more furious when she did not obey her instructions to go back to her bedroom.
In a fit of anger, the mother lifted her daughter up to her shoulder level and forcefully thew her to the ground.
The daughter immediately started crying loudly.
The mother ignoring her cries then asked her daughter to clean up her toys in the living room. But, when the daughter continued crying loudly, the mother got angrier and repeated her actions.
This time, she kicked her daughter as she lay still on the floor.
Soon after she did that, she realised that her daughter was no longer responding and tried to resuscitate her.
She also noticed that her daughter was bleeding from the mouth. In a panicked state, the mother rushed her daughter to KK Women’s And Children’s Hospital.
When she got there she lied to both the nurses and her husband that her daughter had a “seizure” which led to her falling out of her hold.
Despite her story, KK hospital made a police complaint.
It was only after a few days later that the mother finally confessed her crime to the police.
By then, her daughter was declared brain dead with multiple skull fractures and abdominal injuries. Three days later she was taken off life support and was pronounced dead.
The two-year-old child was the youngest out of five siblings. However, her two other siblings passed away due to illnesses in 2011 and 2018 which ultimately led to the mother’s depressive disorder.
Sentencing
In meting out the sentence, Judicial Commissioner Vincent Hoong called the case “deeply unfortunate” but also noted that “depression, even if severe, cannot be a license to kill or to harm others.”
He also pointed out that the mother had taken advantage of her power position as an adult and misused that to harm her child who was vulnerable.
Losing a child can be a traumatic experience for any parent to face. But through proper therapy and support from friends and family parents can get through this difficult time.
Here are some helpful tips to help you cope:
- Grieve–don’t be embarrassed, ashamed or feel any guilt about grieving the loss of your child. Whether it be a child you held for 1 hour or 14 years, allow yourself the time YOU need to grieve.
- Take care of yourself: Eat a healthy diet, walk, run, swim-whatever form of exercise makes you feel good. Get plenty of rest. Avoid alcohol, people who bring negativity to the scene and places that make you uncomfortable.
- Don’t be afraid or feel guilty about smiling…even laughing. It is more than okay to feel something besides pain and grief. Smiling and laughing…finding joy in other aspects of life does not mean you love or miss your child any less!
- Create a memorial to your child’s life. A scholarship fund, garden, playground…whatever you feel is appropriate.
- Get support from books on grief and working through this tremendous loss, talk with other parents who’ve been in your position and consider a support group.
- Don’t try to out grieve your spouse or other children in the family. Everyone grieves in their own way in their own time. You’ve all suffered a loss and should show each other the compassion and respect each one needs to get through it in their own time and their own way
Take care parents and remember to seek help.
