Primary school teacher allegedly slapped girl's buttocks, hugged her

Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
Aug 26, 2022

A male primary school teacher allegedly molested a girl on three separate occasions between 2016 and 2018 at different locations, including his workplace at the time.

The man, who is now 36, is said to have committed the offences when the victim was between 10 and 13 years old.

Court documents did not disclose if she was his pupil at the time.

The man was charged with three counts of molestation on Wednesday (Aug 24) and offered bail of $15,000.

Details about him and the school cannot be revealed due to a gag order to protect the girl's identity.

In a statement to The Straits Times on Friday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said the man had been suspended from duty since June 2020 and is no longer teaching in any school.

The spokesman said: "MOE takes a serious view of staff misconduct and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to our standards of conduct and discipline, including dismissal from service."

According to court documents, the man allegedly slapped the girl's buttocks once over her clothes at the primary school in 2016.

He is accused of hugging her at the school the following year.

The pair were at Golden Village Yishun multiplex in 2018 when he allegedly molested her for the third time by touching her abdomen.

The man's pre-trial conference will be held on Sept 23.

For each count of molestation involving a victim below 14 years old, an offender can be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned or receive any combination of such punishments.

The Straits Times

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