Below is a letter submitted to TOC
By Chen Yi Quan
Under the Children and Young Persons Act it is stated that the act exists to:
provide for the welfare, care, protection and rehabilitation of children and young persons who are in need of such care, protection or rehabilitation, to regulate homes for children and young persons and to consolidate the law relating to children and young persons.
The suicide of the 14-year-old student immediately after his interrogation by the police on accusations of molest of another 11-year-old child calls into question the protocols in place in schools in the event of police detention. Why isn’t the school counselor at hand to provide the critical pastoral care for the young student?
As a parent myself, my heart goes out to the family of this young man, and it is my expressed view that nothing less than a state inquiry be conducted to bring to light the chain of events leading to his unfortunate suicide so as to facilitate safeguards pertaining to the psychological well-being of young persons in the event of police investigation work in future.
