At least 7 other fatal child abuse cases in Singapore over past 10 years

On April 8, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) highlighted some gaps that led to the death of Megan Khung, four, who died after her mother and her boyfriend abused her.

- Nadine Chua

The Straits Times looks at cases since 2015 of children who died after being abused by those supposed to protect them.

2023: A baby was less than two weeks old when she was abused by her parents. She died two months after she was born when her mother forcefully dropped her into a cot in January 2023.

Zabelle Peh was slapped on the face and bitten on the forearm by her mother. Her father admitted to forcefully pushing the tip of a milk bottle into her mouth and throwing her into a cot.

On Jan 8, 2023, Zabelle's mother Sim Liang Xiu threw her into a cot because she was upset that the baby had soiled herself. Sim pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and was sentenced to eight years' jail in April 2025.

Her husband Peh Wei Jian was sentenced to seven years' jail for failing to take reasonable steps to protect Zabelle from Sim's acts.

2020: A girl was only 11 when she was hit by her stepfather with a wooden backscratcher and made to eat chilli padi until she vomited.