SINGAPORE – A 15-year-old girl who slept and bathed in a wet market stall for almost a year has been attending a special education school and is learning to communicate.
On Oct 23, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) provided this update about the girl who had been living in a Circuit Road Market and Food Centre stall.
Stall owners previously said the girl barely spoke and merely gestured.
But now, she is using simple words to express herself and articulate her basic needs, said MSF in response to queries from The Straits Times.
For 11 months, she had lived at the market and relieved herself in pails in a stall her father rented. Both are Singapore permanent residents.
In April, the National Environment Agency (NEA) conducted routine checks and uncovered the case.
NEA reported the case to MSF’s Child Protective Service, and the girl was taken under its care and admitted to a hospital for medical assessment.
MSF said she has been under the care of foster parents since end-May, and is adjusting well.
“The girl’s father is concerned about his daughter and spends time with her regularly, monitored by a social service professional to ensure the child’s safety and well-being during the visit,” MSF said.
The ministry added it will continue to work with the family in determining her long-term care plans.
ST previously reported that her father, 63, was assisting with investigations into ill-treatment of a child or young person by neglect.
Those convicted can be jailed for up to eight years, fined up to $8,000, or both.
Police investigations are ongoing.