A netizen shared a disturbing incident where a disabled man with down syndrome had his sandals vandalised by a heartless person.
The straps at the back of his sandals were found to be cut.
The netizen also shared how some people in the neighbourhood regularly bully the poor man, and wants to bring awareness to his plight, as well as others like him.
Here is the story:
“This picture shows the straps of a sandal which was deliberately cut.
I reached my void deck around 11PM, and met the Father of an adult man (I’ll call him B) with #DownSyndrome, on the more severe end of the #spectrum, and non-verbal. I chat with the Father, he doesn’t remember me but I’ve chatted with him before.
B often hangs out at my void deck. Father is there to coax his son to return home, which is one block away from mine. Father isn’t able to stay with him for now due to certain complexities.
I’ve known B for many years since I moved into Sin Ming Court. Sometimes, neighbours and I would buy food or drinks for him as he often wanders the neighborhood, and in recent months started sleeping overnight at my void deck even.
There are possibly valid reasons why B doesn’t head home. Residents who’ve lived in Sin Ming Court for decades know him and why. But because of his severe #Psoriasis, perhaps newer residents or visitors to the neighborhood – even children – are thought to have bullied him.
And in this instance, someone cut the straps of his sandals. And Father reveals to me that over recent years, B has been bullied in the neighbourhood. His lanyard which contains his special needs or bus passes would go missing, his spectacles would often be broken, and other belongings would go missing. Some people repeatedly call the police on him.
It’s sad and and an #outrage that people would do this to him. He’s timid and gentle, and won’t fight back. And he has poor vision, so breaking his glasses makes it difficult for him to navigate.
Don’t be a #bully. Please #bekind and #compassionate to those who can’t fend for themselves.
(Edit: please don’t come down and look for him, but if you do know people like him who are vulnerable, please consider speaking up on their behalf of they can’t. They need support and understanding, and not bullying or insistence of structural assistance.)”
Images source: @sgfollowsall