Singapore—The remains of the two-year-old girl found in a cooking pot in an apartment on Chin Swee Road last week are suspected to have been located by her intellectually disabled uncle while he was searching for food in the flat.
Police discovered that the little girl was actually murdered five years ago, in 2014, but that her parents kept her remains hidden carefully.
Her parents have been remanded since last year. On September 17, Tuesday, the couple appeared in court and were charged with one count of murder.
The couple, who lived at Block 52 Chin Swee Road, remain unnamed due to a gag order. They reportedly have other children. The day before the remains of the child were found, the woman had been given a jail sentence of five years and two months after she pleaded guilty to one charge of theft and three counts related to drugs.
Since the couple’s other children were taken away by social services, their uncle (the brother of their father) has been living in the Chin Swee Road apartment alone, with his friends bringing him food.
Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao speculated that the uncle might have found the remains of his niece while he was looking for food.
In another update, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced on Tuesday, September 17, that the other children of the couple are safe.
In a statement to the Straits Times (ST), MSF said, “The couple have other children, all of whom are under stable alternative care arrangements.”
A spokesman for MSF said that it will continue to make sure that the couple’s other children remain safe and taken care of, and that the ministry was working with the authorities on the matter. “Police investigations are ongoing, and MSF is working closely with the police.”
On September 13, TISG reported, “According to the Chinese daily, a strong odour emanated from a unit that is occupied by two brothers. The New Paper reported that the odour was present for as long as two weeks before the police arrived to investigate. One resident told the publication:
‘I don’t know how to describe it, but the smell was unsettling. It is something I have never smelled before.’
Reporters from the New Paper who visited the unit saw that the flat appeared empty and had been padlocked shut with a thick chain. A red book with religious text was seen resting on the top frame of the gate.
Another resident told the publication that the unit was occupied by a couple with young children who had moved out sometime in the first half of the year. She said:
“A slightly plump man who looked to be in his 30s moved in four months ago and he lives by himself. Whenever I walked past, his gate and door would be open, and he would often be watching television and laughing loudly to himself.’
“According to the Chinese daily, police officers were at the scene for about six hours on Thursday before finally leaving the one-room rental unit with a metal pot and bag.”
If the child’s parents are found guilty of murder, they can be sentenced to death or jailed for life and be caned.
The couple will be back in court on September 24./ TISG
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