Former preschool teacher jailed for slapping 3-year-old boy, causing his head to hit cupboard

The woman denied slapping the boy even after she was shown closed-circuit television footage of her doing so, insisting she had merely nudged the side of his head.

SINGAPORE: A former preschool teacher was sentenced to five months' jail on Monday (Jul 27) for slapping a three-year-old boy so hard that his head hit a nearby cupboard.

The 31-year-old Singaporean woman pleaded guilty to one charge of ill-treating a child in her care under the Children and Young Persons Act.

The court imposed gag orders on the victim covering the incident location and school. CNA is not naming the accused as a search of her name reveals the school.

The court heard that the victim was a pre-nursery student in the preschool under the woman's care.

At about 10.30am on Sep 12, 2025, the boy was sitting on the floor crying outside his classroom.

When told about this by another teacher, the accused walked out of the classroom, lifted the boy by his wrists and carried him into the classroom.

She threw him to the floor, and the crying boy smacked her thigh in response.

In retaliation, the woman slapped the boy's arm. The commotion drew the attention of other teachers.

The accused closed the classroom door and scolded the victim before slapping his face twice. The impact caused the boy's head to hit a cupboard next to him.

The school principal had approached the classroom because of the commotion and saw the slaps.

She immediately intervened, carried the boy out and informed his mother of what happened.

When questioned by his mother, the boy initially denied that anything untoward had happened, but later said the accused had told him not to tell his parents about it.

The boy's mother lodged a police report.

When interviewed by the police, the accused denied slapping the boy even after she was shown closed-circuit television footage of her doing so.

Instead, she insisted that she had merely nudged the side of his head.

The prosecutor sought at least eight months' jail, saying the woman violated the high degree of trust placed in teachers to ensure the most vulnerable and defenceless are suitably cared for.

He said the victim did not move away from the accused even after being struck multiple times, and could only scream and cry.

However, he noted that the accused has made compensation of S$15,000 (US$11,600) to the victim's family.

For ill-treating a child in her care, the woman could have been jailed for up to eight years, fined up to S$8,000, or both.