Alleged attack on Madrasah students: Middle-aged man charged

A 48-year-old Singaporean man was on Monday (Apr 4) charged in court for last Friday's "racially aggravated" attack on three Madrasah students.

Koh Weng Onn was charged with three counts, including two counts for committing a rash act by swinging a plastic bag containing a 1.5-litre bottle of water at the faces of two female victims, both 14.

A third count of causing hurt to a 16-year-old female student by kicking her right thigh was "racially aggravated", court documents said.

The three female students were on their separate ways to Madrasah Al Maarif Al Islamiah when they were assaulted by Koh at Paya Lebar MRT station and while walking along Paya Lebar Road.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Yi Ling said the charges against Koh would be “reviewed when more facts are known”. Investigations have so far revealed that Koh “had no prior quarrel with the victims”, DPP Goh said.

The DPP said that preliminary investigations have shown Koh made a “disproportionately high number of police reports” – 90 reports over five years – over incidents “no one would have thought to make a police report over”, adding that the reports “appeared to have been generated by his belief that he was being targeted by others”.

Koh made police reports against strangers whom he believed “bore him ill will”, including a sales promoter he had bought a product from and a woman who Koh believed had been sitting inappropriately. He also made reports against his colleagues over work deployment issues. Channel NewsAsia understands that Koh is employed as a security officer.

DPP Goh asked for Koh to be remanded for two weeks to undergo psychiatric evaluation at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). His case will next be heard on Apr 18.
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For committing a rash act causing hurt, Koh faces up to a year in jail and/or a fine of up to S$5,000. For causing hurt which is "racially aggravated", Koh could be sentenced up to three years' in jail and/or fined S$7,000.