7 teens from Singapore Boys' Home charged with rioting with weapons: Desmond Lee
SINGAPORE: Seven of the fourteen Singapore Boys' Home (SBH) residents who were arrested for rioting on Friday (Sep 28) have since been charged with rioting with weapons, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said on Saturday.
The teenagers - aged between 14 and 17 - were charged in court on Saturday morning.
Advertisement[h=3]READ: 14 residents of Singapore Boys' Home arrested for rioting[/h]Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the launch of a turtle hatchery at Sisters' Island Marine Park, Mr Lee said that the residents of the juvenile detention centre - which is run by the Ministry of Social and Family Development - were understood to have used "sports equipment" to assault officers.
"Yesterday, at about 5.55pm, there was unruly behavior and mass disturbance in Singapore Boys' Home at Jurong West in an open yard after some sports activities," said the minister. "From what we understand, some of our officers were assaulted using sports equipment."
"As per the protocols, the police were called in, and together with Singapore Boys' Home officers, order was restored and the incident was brought under control by about 7pm."
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe identities of the teenagers charged in court on Saturday will not be released because of their youth, said Mr Lee, adding that the remaining seven who had been removed for investigations would be returned to the home for their "continued residency".
The incident saw two male employees of the home and an auxiliary police officer taken to hospital.
The auxiliary police officer and one of the home's employees - a youth guidance officer - have been discharged, while another guidance officer is still warded for further observation, according to Mr Lee.
The minister added that disturbances happen "from time to time" at institutions such as the home.
"For disturbances like this, the protocol is to call in the police to help to ensure that order is restored and the facility locked down," he said. "For every (one) of these incidents, we will undertake a review of what happened."
"Investigations are ongoing and therefore in terms of facts, we will let the investigations take their course."
The home and the Ministry of Social and Family Development will work closely with the police and the Home Team over the incident, said the minister.
BOYS' HOME PLACE OF CUSTODY BUT ALSO REHABILITATION
Though the home is a place of custody and detention, it is also focussed on rehabilitation, added Mr Lee.
"While discipline is important, we also want to have a safe environment in which rehabilitation can take its course," he said.
The home's officers are trained in various skills including "de-escalation of crises and incidents, counselling, but also enforcing some discipline in the residents" he said, adding that auxiliary police were also on-site to help maintain order.
"But as far as disturbances are concerned, where offenses may have been committed, it is the police who will step in to use the police powers."
Friday's incident comes about two years after 26 youths from the home in 2016 sparked a six-hour standoff with the police when they barricaded themselves in their rooms and destroyed and vandalised property after their plan to escape failed.
The 2016 incident was a "more major incident" than Friday's event, said Mr Lee, adding that Friday's incident, while a "major disturbance", was on "quite a different scale".
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SINGAPORE: Seven of the fourteen Singapore Boys' Home (SBH) residents who were arrested for rioting on Friday (Sep 28) have since been charged with rioting with weapons, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said on Saturday.
The teenagers - aged between 14 and 17 - were charged in court on Saturday morning.
Advertisement[h=3]READ: 14 residents of Singapore Boys' Home arrested for rioting[/h]Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the launch of a turtle hatchery at Sisters' Island Marine Park, Mr Lee said that the residents of the juvenile detention centre - which is run by the Ministry of Social and Family Development - were understood to have used "sports equipment" to assault officers.
"Yesterday, at about 5.55pm, there was unruly behavior and mass disturbance in Singapore Boys' Home at Jurong West in an open yard after some sports activities," said the minister. "From what we understand, some of our officers were assaulted using sports equipment."
"As per the protocols, the police were called in, and together with Singapore Boys' Home officers, order was restored and the incident was brought under control by about 7pm."
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe identities of the teenagers charged in court on Saturday will not be released because of their youth, said Mr Lee, adding that the remaining seven who had been removed for investigations would be returned to the home for their "continued residency".
The incident saw two male employees of the home and an auxiliary police officer taken to hospital.
The auxiliary police officer and one of the home's employees - a youth guidance officer - have been discharged, while another guidance officer is still warded for further observation, according to Mr Lee.
The minister added that disturbances happen "from time to time" at institutions such as the home.
"For disturbances like this, the protocol is to call in the police to help to ensure that order is restored and the facility locked down," he said. "For every (one) of these incidents, we will undertake a review of what happened."
"Investigations are ongoing and therefore in terms of facts, we will let the investigations take their course."
The home and the Ministry of Social and Family Development will work closely with the police and the Home Team over the incident, said the minister.
BOYS' HOME PLACE OF CUSTODY BUT ALSO REHABILITATION
Though the home is a place of custody and detention, it is also focussed on rehabilitation, added Mr Lee.
"While discipline is important, we also want to have a safe environment in which rehabilitation can take its course," he said.
The home's officers are trained in various skills including "de-escalation of crises and incidents, counselling, but also enforcing some discipline in the residents" he said, adding that auxiliary police were also on-site to help maintain order.
"But as far as disturbances are concerned, where offenses may have been committed, it is the police who will step in to use the police powers."
Friday's incident comes about two years after 26 youths from the home in 2016 sparked a six-hour standoff with the police when they barricaded themselves in their rooms and destroyed and vandalised property after their plan to escape failed.
The 2016 incident was a "more major incident" than Friday's event, said Mr Lee, adding that Friday's incident, while a "major disturbance", was on "quite a different scale".
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