Photo: Caique Silva/Unsplash
TLDR: A primary school teacher got close to a boy in his Primary 6 form class, and later started molesting him.
The teacher has been convicted of molestation and will be sentenced in August.
More thoughts: Both boys and girls can be sexually abused, and should always be wary of both strangers and trusted adults who try to get physical.
In this case, the primary school teacher had been supportive of the boy throughout Primary 6 and even went beyond the call of duty by financially supporting him.
However, he eventually tried to take advantage of their close relationship by touching the boy’s private parts for personal gratification.
This is considered molest and the formal charge for such an offence under the Penal Code is in s354 – the “assault or use of criminal force to a person with intent to outrage modesty”.
The statutory penalty for a case of molest is up to 2 years’ jail, fine and/or caning. However, the Penal Code stipulates much higher penalties where a victim is below 14 years old, such as in this case. Accordingly, the teacher here would be liable to up to 5 years’ jail, fine and/or caning.
The boy was absolutely right to report this crime to his school counsellor despite his mother discouraging him from going to the police. If you allow anybody to get away with molest, you will only embolden and encourage him or her to commit more, and worse, crimes.