5 teenagers arrested for suspected rioting in wake of Qihua Primary School student assault video
The police said they take a serious view of such acts of violence and investigations are ongoing.
by Lutfil Jumadi · CNA · JoinSINGAPORE: Five teenagers have been arrested after footage of a Qihua Primary School student being assaulted by an older boy emerged online earlier this week.
The police said on Wednesday (Sep 25) they had identified the teens involved in the incident, adding that "five of them have been arrested for their suspected involvement in a case of rioting".
"The police take a serious view of such acts of violence and blatant disregard of the law. We will not hesitate to take action and deal with the offenders in accordance with the law."
Investigations are ongoing, they added.
The four-minute video, which was circulating on Whatsapp and Telegram, showed a teen in a black T-shirt and jeans hitting a smaller boy who is wearing the uniform of Qihua Primary School, which is in Woodlands.
The teen can be seen pushing the boy into a corner of the stairwell, before proceeding to punch and kick him and hurl him to the floor.
The video also shows him ordering the boy to put his hands behind his back, before punching him in the stomach.
The boy can be heard saying "sorry, sorry I won't do it again" multiple times, while being taunted by the teen and another person - possibly the one filming the incident.
It was unclear when this incident occurred, but Qihua Primary School told CNA that it was aware of it and the matter was under police investigation.
"The safety and well-being of our students is our priority. We have provided counselling to the affected students and are working closely with their parents to ensure the well-being of all involved," said the school.
"We have also reminded our students to look out for one another and to report any incidents of bullying to their teachers."
The video involving the boy was the second one to surface online in a week.
In a TikTok video posted slightly over a week ago, a pupil from Bukit View Secondary School can be seen being taunted and kicked to the ground while at least five teens surround him. The police are also investigating that bullying incident.
Responding to CNA's queries on the Bukit View Secondary School incident, the Education Ministry had said on Sunday that it takes a serious view on any form of bullying.
Since 2013, the number of incidents reported each year to schools has remained at about two incidents per 1,000 primary students and five incidents per 1,000 secondary students.
"When there are reports of alleged cases of bullying, schools will conduct investigations to understand the underlying causes of behaviour and take appropriate disciplinary action to help students understand the consequences of hurtful behaviour and restore relationships with those affected," MOE had said.
"Counselling support will be provided to guide the perpetrator and support the victim."
It had also added that schools also engage and work with parents to provide support for students within and outside the school environment by sharing the social and emotional skills taught in school, expected behaviours among students, and potential consequences arising from unacceptable behaviour.
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