A former school head of department has gotten off the hook following his acquittal of all his charges, which accused him of committing indecent acts against 2 boys, aged 13 and 14.
The 40 year-old was accused of asking the 13 year-old to massage his groin. However, the former teacher has been cleared of this accusation and its corresponding charges.
District Judge John Ng said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused had committed the act against the 13 year-old, stating that the boy had failed to provide specific details of the offending acts.
He explained that the defence had provided indirect but credible evidence against the boy, who was found to have a motive for testifying against his former teacher. The defence had argued that the boy had suffered perceived unfair criticism and harsh treatment at the hands of the teacher, which the judge acknowledged in his judgement.
Mr Adrian Wee and Ms Rachel Soh defended the accused.
The maximum punishment under the Children and Young Persons Act is a $10,000 fine and five years’ jail.