On July 28, 2025, former pre-school teacher Saiidah Kamarudin was sentenced to nine months and two weeks in jail for repeatedly tripping a 20-month-old toddler under her care. The disturbing acts were captured on CCTV, showing Saiidah tripping the child four times in a single incident on November 6, 2023. One of the trips caused the girl to fall face-first, resulting in a nosebleed and visible bruising.
Saiidah, 34, who is also a mother of two, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of ill-treating a child. The court heard that the offence occurred just weeks after she tendered her resignation from the unnamed pre-school on October 12, 2023. She was still working there and assigned to a playgroup when the incident took place.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie, the first trip occurred while Saiidah was cleaning the toddler’s face in the toilet area around 12:30pm. She used her right leg to sweep outward and catch the girl’s left leg. The child stumbled but didn’t fall. Immediately after, Saiidah tripped the child again, this time causing her to fall backwards.
Undeterred, she continued to trip the toddler two more times using the same sweeping motion. The final trip resulted in the child falling flat on her face and crying in pain. Another teacher, alerted by the child’s cries, rushed over. The toddler was found bleeding from her right nostril, and a bruise was visible beneath her nose.
The incident was later reviewed through school CCTV footage, and the child’s parents brought her to a doctor on November 8, 2023. The medical report confirmed a mild bruise. The child’s father filed a police report and requested access to the CCTV footage, which confirmed Saiidah’s actions. Saiidah’s employment officially ended on November 14, 2023, and she was arrested months later on April 18, 2024.
District Judge Tan Jen Tse, while delivering the sentence, emphasised that the toddler was too young to articulate what had happened to her. He also noted the persistent nature of the abuse and stated that Saiidah only stopped after the child sustained an injury.
The prosecution had sought a sentence of up to one year and four months, citing the child’s vulnerability and Saiidah’s position of trust as aggravating factors. Defence lawyer Deepak Natverlal argued that Saiidah’s behaviour was out of character. He said she was remorseful but could not provide a clear reason for her actions, though she had expressed dissatisfaction with the school’s child-centric approach.
Saiidah’s bail was set at $15,000, and she is scheduled to begin serving her sentence on August 18, 2025.
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