A 15-year-old girl was allegedly beaten by a group of schoolmates on 29 August after forwarding a video of a student vaping in a school toilet. The group took her to a multi-storey car park, where she was reportedly slapped, punched, forced to kneel, and had her hair pulled. Her mother lodged a police report after the girl returned home with bruises on her head and face.
Background
The incident occurred on 29 August as the girl was heading home from school following early dismissal due to Teacher’s Day celebrations. She and a friend were leaving school around 10:40 am when another female schoolmate approached them, claiming she had something to discuss. The girl later realised it was about a video showing a female student using an e-vaporiser in a school toilet, which she had forwarded to three friends. The student in the video found out and accused her of circulating it.
The alleged assault
The girl recounted to Shin Min Daily News that a group of about 10 students, including both boys and girls from her level, took her and her friend to a void deck, confiscated her phone, and attempted to unlock it. They questioned her about who filmed the video and why it was widely circulated. When she refused to unlock her phone, they dragged her to the fifth level of a multi-storey car park. There, a female schoolmate allegedly yelled at her before slapping and punching her multiple times while others filmed the assault.
Told to kneel and apologise
The girl told The Straits Times that her friend was told to leave the car park by the group. A student eventually unlocked her phone using the Face ID function and took photos and videos. When she asked for her phone back, she was allegedly told to kneel and apologise on video to the female student seen vaping. “I didn’t want to kneel, so they kicked my legs and stood on my feet to prevent me from standing. The female schoolmate who hit me earlier pulled my hair and slapped me,” she said. The group deleted the vaping video from her phone before allegedly smashing it and warned her not to tell anyone or she would be “killed.”
Sent to hospital with bruises on her head and face
The girl’s mother, Ms Pan, told Shin Min that she received a video call from her daughter, who was in tears and said she had been beaten by schoolmates. Pan immediately lodged a police report. Upon returning home, her daughter was sent to the hospital, where she was found to have bruises on her face and head, a nosebleed, numbness in her right cheek, and swelling on her legs. Pan has notified the school and hopes for immediate action. She is also considering transferring her daughter to another school. The police confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.
School identified students, will assist in police investigations
A spokesperson from the girl’s school told Fathership that they are aware of the incident and have identified the students involved. “We take a serious view of acts of violence and bullying, and will assist the police in their investigation. We will also mete out the appropriate disciplinary actions and counsel the perpetrators where necessary,” the spokesperson said. The school is in touch with the affected student and her family to monitor her well-being.
Broader implications and future actions
This incident has sparked outrage among parents and students, raising concerns about school safety and the handling of bullying cases. The school has pledged to take stringent measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Parents are calling for more robust anti-bullying policies and better support systems for victims. The outcome of the police investigation and the school’s disciplinary actions will be closely watched as a measure of accountability and justice.
