MY YOUNGER brother is a medical doctor working in a Singapore hospital.
On April 15 at about 11.30pm he dined alone at his favourite food stall in Geylang Lorong 9. After his supper he was approached by a group of six to eight youths who accused him of staring at them. When he denied doing so, they assaulted him, beating him in the face and abdomen.
He suffered multiple facial fractures and damage to one of his facial nerves. He had to undergo a three-hour operation, which included having two metal plates inserted around one of his eyes.
He will need six months to recover fully and, even then, there will be some deformation to his facial features.
Immediately after the assault, when the gang ran to their motorcycles which were parked nearby, my brother gave chase and, despite his pain and the bleeding, called 999.
While the police were on the hotline, he read out two of the motorcycles' number plates to them from within 5m. The police came 20 minutes later and then only after a second call.
My brother told them what happened and urged them to alert police patrol cars nearby to be on the lookout as the motorcyclists were probably not too far away. Quite shockingly, the police declined and instead asked him to lodge a report with the Magistrates' Court, and left.
What is alarming is that in spite of the serious injuries that my brother suffered which required three days' hospitalisation, the police were unwilling to take up the case.
The police advised that this was a civil case and it was for the magistrate to decide if any action was to be taken.
One would have thought that when anyone is assaulted by a gang of six to eight hooligans and suffered injuries to the extent that my brother did, the case would have been classified as causing grievous hurt and pursued as a criminal case.
The attitude of the police, as demonstrated in this case, will only serve to embolden hooligans to commit even more such offences.
It was only when an appeal was made that my brother's case was reclassified under Section 325 (from Section 323), 10 days after the incident, by which time witnesses would have dispersed and memories faded.
Had the police acted promptly, especially when they were at the scene, they might have had a better chance of apprehending the culprits as there were witnesses around.
Liew Sok Kuan (Ms)
This is Uniquely Singapore.Originally posted by av98m:Amazing isn't it, you wear brown shirts, police show up quickly.
You place white elephant cutouts, police show up quickly.
You stand somewhere in NUS giving an impromtu speech, the police show up quickly
You carry a protest banner in front of cpf building, a whole riot squad shows up.
You get beaten within an inch of your life by a bunch of hooligans, the police doesn't give a shit.
Its nice to know our police force has their priorities straight!
"It was only when an appeal was made that my brother's case was reclassified under Section 325 (from Section 323), 10 days after the incident, by which time witnesses would have dispersed and memories faded.There is a systematic flow of legal procedures.
Had the police acted promptly, especially when they were at the scene, they might have had a better chance of apprehending the culprits as there were witnesses around."
Yea right...Originally posted by TooFree:There is a systematic flow of legal procedures.
Since the case had been reclassified by the magistrate court, the police will see that the culprits are apprehended.
You seem to enjoy taking a totally ambivalent approach to this situation.Originally posted by TooFree:There is a systematic flow of legal procedures.
Since the case had been reclassified by the magistrate court, the police will see that the culprits are apprehended.
I think more to come like this when we become casino state,better ask my doctor son to leave S'pore at the earliest possible.Originally posted by LinYu:they can investigate the "hugmous terrorising" white elephants but think nothing to this "harmless" act.![]()
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Please, I'm already dead tired from my 20km phototrekking expedition... and here I see you trying to make me die of laughter....Originally posted by TooFree:There is a systematic flow of legal procedures.
Since the case had been reclassified by the magistrate court, the police will see that the culprits are apprehended.
Either way, it can't be good.Originally posted by lwflee:I think there must be another side to the story. Why would the police say something is a "civil case" and therefore not for the police to investigate? Many many crimes also give rise to civil liability. By that logic, I think a HUGE cost-cutting exercise is in order. After all what do we need the police for then?
I therefore cannot believe a policeman would be so stupid as to give such a reason to justify inaction. It is just...beyond belief. There must therefore be something else that we are not being told...
or are the cops really so stupid?