Teacher gets suspended sentence
A39-year-old Gospel Primary School teacher yesterday was handed a suspended sentence for assault causing actual bodily harm.
Sylvia Kaur Singh appeared before Suva Magistrate Deepika Prakash for her sentence yesterday.
Singh was sentenced to three months imprisonment which was suspended for 12 months.
Singh was told if she reoffended within the 12 months, she may be charged under the sentencing and penalties act and the threemonth sentence would be activated.
On July 19, 2018, at around 1.30pm, the complainant, a nine-year-old student of Gospel Primary School, was inside his classroom and giving out the inter-house letters to his classmates and was also playing with another classmate when Singh walked in and slapped the right cheek of the complainant.
Singh had also pulled the front part of the complainant’s shirt and slapped his right cheek.
The medical report had shown a slight swelling of the right side of the face which was painful upon palpitation, a painful right eye when moving eyeball and pain on the upper back upon palpitation.
In the mitigating factors, Magistrate Prakash noted that Singh was a first time offender and a young offender. Singh was remorseful for her actions and had attempted to reconcile with the complainant and his family in the traditional manner. In the aggravating factors, Magistrate Prakash noted that Singh had assaulted the right cheek of the complainant which is a vulnerable area. Magistrate Prakash said: “Teachers are entrusted to look after children and being the adult in the situation, the actions of Singh is not justified.” Singh was given 28 days to appeal against her sentence to the Court of Appeal.
Edited by Jonathan Bryce