SINGAPORE – Two teenage boys, who stole cash from a male victim, denied doing so when the victim confronted them and assaulted him instead.
The assailants, with a third teenage boy, attacked him again after the victim reported the matter to the staff of the hostel where he and two of the attackers lived.
During the second attack, the victim, who is now 16 years old, was made to strip, dance and lick the shoes of his three assailants. Video recordings were made during this attack.
On Oct 22, one of the assailants, identified in court documents as “the accused”, was ordered to undergo reformative training for at least a year.
Those given such a sentence are detained in a centre to observe a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.
The accused, now 17, had pleaded guilty to multiple charges including assault and harassment.
His 17-year-old accomplice, who was also a hostel resident at the time, was identified in court documents as B2. The third assailant, who was not a hostel resident, was identified as B3.
All the offenders in this case cannot be named as they were below 18 years old at the time of the attack.
Court documents did not disclose the outcome of B2’s and B3’s cases.
The prosecution said that some time before July 19, 2023, the victim told the accused and B2 that he had hidden a stash of money inside a fire hose reel cabinet at a block of flats.
This was because the hostel had a limit on the amount of money a resident could keep on the premises. The amount of money the victim had was not disclosed in court documents.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Matthew Choo said: “The accused… went to the location where the victim stashed his money and stole from the victim’s stash. The accused did so multiple times… B2 did the same some time in May 2023, taking $50.”
The victim later confronted the pair who denied stealing the money and instead took offence at his accusations.
On July 19, 2023, they coerced the victim into going to a common toilet at their hostel and assaulted him.
The accused also threatened the victim by warning him to not “falsely accuse” them again. B2 then placed the victim in a chokehold before releasing the boy.
The victim reported the matter to the staff of the hostel the next day.