SINGAPORE, Aug 22 — A Malaysian woman who ran a private educational facility in Singapore is facing charges for allegedly allowing her nephew to continue caring for children despite knowing he had abused one of them.

The 46-year-old, who is also a Singapore permanent resident, faces two charges under the Children and Young Persons Act, The Straits Times reported today.

She cannot be named because this could identify the children, who are protected by a gag order issued in the case against her 31-year-old Singaporean nephew.

The woman is accused of knowingly allowing a child under her care to be ill-treated and failing to take steps to protect the child, including continuing to let her nephew care for the victim after he admitted physically abusing the child.

Her alleged offences took place between February and March 2023, according to charge sheets dated April 2024.

Her case is fixed for a pre-trial conference on August 26.

The charges come a day after her nephew was sentenced to nine years and 10 months’ jail and eight strokes of the cane for abusing several primary school pupils.

The man worked as a manager at the facility, where he was responsible for looking after students and taught the children despite having no teaching or childcare qualifications.

He punched pupils, beat them with a clothes hanger and subjected one six-year-old boy to an 18-hour ordeal that included forcing him to drink his own urine.

The six-year-old was also forced to remain in a push-up position from 3.45pm until the following morning.

The boy suffered multiple injuries, including fractured ribs, a lung injury and kidney failure that caused severe hypertension.

The boy’s aunt eventually took him to hospital after he complained of breathing difficulties, with the hospital later alerting police to his injuries.

The manager was also reported to have abused an 11-year-old boy by forcing him to hold a push-up position for about three hours before hitting him with a hanger when he failed to maintain it.

He punched another 10-year-old boy in the face several times after the child could not answer a homework question.

The aunt faces up to eight years’ jail, a fine of up to S$8,000 (RM25,000), or both if convicted of knowingly allowing a child in her care to be ill-treated.