‘Use the time in prison to reflect on your actions’ — SG judge tells Singaporean woman, 36, who gets 13 years’ jail for conspiring in Megan Khung child abuse case
Woman in handcuffs faces consequences in child abuse case
Content warning: This article describes prolonged abuse and physical violence. Reader discretion is advised.
SINGAPORE: A 36-year-old woman who helped abuse four-year-old Megan Khung and later assisted in disposing of her body has been sentenced to 13 years’ jail.
Nouvelle Chua Ruoshi was sentenced at the High Court on Nov 13. Justice S Mohan rejected her attempt to portray herself as someone who merely witnessed the abuse. The judge said Chua had actively taken part in Megan’s suffering, including filming humiliating incidents and helping Megan’s mother and her boyfriend conceal the child’s death.
Justice Mohan urged Chua to use her time in prison to reflect on her actions and work towards becoming a better person: “You are strongly encouraged to use the time in prison to reflect on your actions … to make yourself a better person when you come out,” were his exact words, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported the sentencing on Nov 13.
Judge rejects claim that Chua was merely a bystander
Chua was friends with Megan’s mother, Foo Li Ping, 31, and Foo’s boyfriend, Wong Shi Xiang, 40. Foo and Wong were sentenced in April 2025. Foo received 19 years’ jail, while Wong was given 30 years’ jail and 17 strokes of the cane.
Chua pleaded guilty to three charges involving a conspiracy to abuse Megan, disposing of her corpse and drug consumption. Three other charges involving conspiracy to ill-treat the child were considered during sentencing.
Justice Mohan found Chua nearly as culpable as Foo, despite not physically assaulting Megan herself.
Chua had argued that her involvement was limited to recording the abuse, being present during incidents and failing to intervene. The judge disagreed. He said her recordings showed deliberate participation in Megan’s humiliation. She also helped conceal the child's injuries by dressing her in clothes that covered bruises and cane marks.
Chua had even joined Wong in parading Megan in public after markings were drawn on the child's face. The judge also found that Chua had suggested forcing Megan to eat the mucus after the child accidentally splashed some on her mother.
Chua helped conceal Megan’s death
The abuse continued until February 2020. On Feb 21, Wong punched Megan in the stomach, causing her back to hit a wall.
Chua arrived at the flat shortly after midnight the following day. She saw Megan lying on the bedroom floor, holding her stomach in pain.
Although she informed Foo and Wong about the child's complaints, they dismissed them as attention-seeking behaviour. Chua then took drugs with the couple instead of helping Megan.
Hours later, the three discovered that Megan was unresponsive. Their attempts to revive her failed. The trio subsequently left the flat and stayed in hotels and serviced apartments until June 2020.
Chua knew Foo and Wong were planning to dispose of Megan’s body. She drove Wong back to the flat and bought vinegar and other items to help conceal the smell of decomposition.
On May 8, 2020, Megan’s body was placed in a box and taken to a workshop. Wong and Foo helped burn her remains in a metal barrel, with Chua joining them in burning incense paper.
Wong later scattered Megan’s ashes into the sea at East Coast Park. Neither the barrel nor Megan’s remains were recovered.
Child protection failures prompted further review
Megan’s father, Khung Wei Nan, reported her missing on July 20, 2020. The trio was arrested four days later.
The case drew national attention because of the prolonged abuse suffered by the young child and concerns over whether existing safeguards could have detected it earlier.
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After Foo and Wong were sentenced, the Ministry of Social and Family Development said it would conduct a further review. A review panel identified serious shortcomings across the agencies responsible for Megan’s welfare in October 2025.
In September 2026, the ministry launched a new unit to identify concerns about child abuse earlier.
Maximum penalties for the offences
The offences Chua admitted to carry significant penalties under Singapore law. For intentionally disposing of a corpse, she could have faced up to seven years’ jail.
For conspiring to ill-treat a child, the maximum penalty was eight years’ jail, a fine of up to S$8,000, or both. For drug consumption, she could have faced between one and 10 years’ jail and a fine of up to S$20,000.
Chua’s sentence carries a difficult lesson about responsibility. Seeing abuse and choosing to record it, conceal it or ignore it can make someone part of the harm.
Protecting a child requires more than feeling sorry after something terrible happens. It means speaking up and taking action when that child needs help.
Read related: MSF: Singapore launches new child protection unit to flag abuse concerns on children earlier after Megan Khung’s death