Welcome to the 1st day of March 2016!!
"Shanmugam lays out facts on schoolboy Benjamin Lim's case and slams inaccurate statements on death of teen Benjamin Lim; MHA to look into how to respond to falsehoods - 01 Mar 2016
SINGAPORE - The police officers who went to the school of 14-year-old Benjamin Lim had worn plain clothes and followed procedures for dealing with young persons, said Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on Tuesday (March 1).
Mr Shanmugam laid out the facts of the case in Parliament in response to questions from Members of Parliament, and detailed the sequence of events before the Secondary 3 student's death.
There is nothing so far to suggest that Benjamin was mistreated by police, and based on the facts currently available it cannot be said that the police interview was the specific reason for his death, the minister said.
Shanmugam slams inaccurate statements on death of teen Benjamin Lim; MHA to look into how to respond to falsehoods.
Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, singled out The Online Citizen (TOC) for its inaccurate reports.
"It has gone on a planned, orchestrated campaign, using falsehoods, and has published about 20 articles or so as part of its campaign," he said.
The TOC reports gave the impression that the police were lying, and that police officers had intimidated and put pressure on the teenager to confess to a crime that he did not commit.
These articles led people to conclude that the boy committed suicide as a result, he said."
A tragic case that raised questions about how young offenders should be treated by police.
1. it must be the case that the police had ABSOLUTELY followed the standard operating procedures (SOP) on handling young offenders from SCHOOL! If not, it will be a BIG let down!!;
2. assuming point 1 above is validated, the next step is to understand IF the current SOP for bringing in young offenders from SCHOOL are good enough to avoid creating such stress that might have contributed to the suicide by the boy. For a layman, having 5 plainclothes police officers in unmarked car descending on the boy in school is definitely intimidating. Having the interview in an open area on a sensitive case like molesting by young offenders may also be a bit unnerving. After sex and sexual activities are often taboo in our society;
3. as for the 'falsehood' spread by TOC and any other online media or forum pointed out by Minister Shanmugam obviously has to be tackled and confronted. Maligning the police CANNOT be tolerated. However, I am not sure if the report, given no direct access to the case details or the time to release more details are not ripe, put up 'scenarios of what could have happened' can be considered 'falsehood' or not. This will be a tough call and the earlier we establish WHAT is 'acceptable wording' in such cases, the BETTER.
It is such a tragic case. Hopefully the airs are cleared and any doubts answered and laid to rest while the review of the current SOP by police on such young offenders from school situation can at least consider: a. going to get a young offender in school MUST be absolutely done with great discretion; b. for sensitive cases and 1st offender, assumed that he/she is more lightly to be in remorse and stressed, and cut them as much slack as possible; c. informing the parents and let them be at the police station should be the MUST DO.
Rest in peace to the boy and condolences again to the parents, relatives and friends of the dead boy!
"Shanmugam lays out facts on schoolboy Benjamin Lim's case and slams inaccurate statements on death of teen Benjamin Lim; MHA to look into how to respond to falsehoods - 01 Mar 2016
SINGAPORE - The police officers who went to the school of 14-year-old Benjamin Lim had worn plain clothes and followed procedures for dealing with young persons, said Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on Tuesday (March 1).
Mr Shanmugam laid out the facts of the case in Parliament in response to questions from Members of Parliament, and detailed the sequence of events before the Secondary 3 student's death.
There is nothing so far to suggest that Benjamin was mistreated by police, and based on the facts currently available it cannot be said that the police interview was the specific reason for his death, the minister said.
Shanmugam slams inaccurate statements on death of teen Benjamin Lim; MHA to look into how to respond to falsehoods.
Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, singled out The Online Citizen (TOC) for its inaccurate reports.
"It has gone on a planned, orchestrated campaign, using falsehoods, and has published about 20 articles or so as part of its campaign," he said.
The TOC reports gave the impression that the police were lying, and that police officers had intimidated and put pressure on the teenager to confess to a crime that he did not commit.
These articles led people to conclude that the boy committed suicide as a result, he said."
A tragic case that raised questions about how young offenders should be treated by police.
1. it must be the case that the police had ABSOLUTELY followed the standard operating procedures (SOP) on handling young offenders from SCHOOL! If not, it will be a BIG let down!!;
2. assuming point 1 above is validated, the next step is to understand IF the current SOP for bringing in young offenders from SCHOOL are good enough to avoid creating such stress that might have contributed to the suicide by the boy. For a layman, having 5 plainclothes police officers in unmarked car descending on the boy in school is definitely intimidating. Having the interview in an open area on a sensitive case like molesting by young offenders may also be a bit unnerving. After sex and sexual activities are often taboo in our society;
3. as for the 'falsehood' spread by TOC and any other online media or forum pointed out by Minister Shanmugam obviously has to be tackled and confronted. Maligning the police CANNOT be tolerated. However, I am not sure if the report, given no direct access to the case details or the time to release more details are not ripe, put up 'scenarios of what could have happened' can be considered 'falsehood' or not. This will be a tough call and the earlier we establish WHAT is 'acceptable wording' in such cases, the BETTER.
It is such a tragic case. Hopefully the airs are cleared and any doubts answered and laid to rest while the review of the current SOP by police on such young offenders from school situation can at least consider: a. going to get a young offender in school MUST be absolutely done with great discretion; b. for sensitive cases and 1st offender, assumed that he/she is more lightly to be in remorse and stressed, and cut them as much slack as possible; c. informing the parents and let them be at the police station should be the MUST DO.
Rest in peace to the boy and condolences again to the parents, relatives and friends of the dead boy!
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