Girl allegedly hit for sharing video of classmate smoking
A 15-year-old Singaporean schoolgirl was allegedly slapped and punched by a group of classmates after she shared a video of a classmate smoking an e-cigarette in the school toilet.
The incident, which occurred on Aug 29, has sparked outrage among parents and students.
The victim's mother, Ms Pan, told Shin Min Daily News that her daughter was dragged to the top floor of a nearby HDB car park and subjected to a beating.
The attackers reportedly slapped, punched, and kicked her. They also pulled her hair and forced her to kneel down.
The 38-year-old supermarket manager said her daughter was riddled with injuries, including swollen lips, a bleeding nose, bruises on her legs, and swollen feet.
She has reported the incident to the police and is considering transferring her daughter to another school.
The police confirmed a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.
According to the victim, the assault was triggered by her sharing the smoking video with a few friends.
The classmate who was caught smoking, along with several others, confronted her and accused her of spreading rumours even though the video had been circulating among students in their school for several weeks.
The group of 10 students then took the victim to a secluded area and one female schoolmate reportedly slapped her multiple times after she refused to unlock her phone.
She, along with another girl, forced the victim to kneel and apologise to the girl who was caught vaping in the circulated video.
The attackers also recorded the assault and smashed her phone. The victim said they threatened to send someone to "kill her" if she told anyone about what happened.
The Ministry of Education confirmed that it is aware of the incident and is assisting the police with their investigation.
The school informed The Straits Times that it has identified the students involved. It added that it will impose appropriate disciplinary actions and counsel the perpetrators as needed.
“We take a serious view of acts of violence and bullying, and will assist the police in their investigation,” said the school.
“We are in touch with the affected student and her family to monitor her well-being.”
The school has also arranged for a teacher to escort her to and from school from now on.
Her father told ST that he fears for his daughter's safety and is ensuring his daughter is not alone. He also intends to employ a domestic helper to help protect her.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now