SINGAPORE: An officer at a welfare home was ordered by the court on Monday (Aug 31) to pay a fine of S$8,000 (around US$6,300) for ill-treating a 10-year-old boy.The 43-year-old Singaporean man pleaded guilty to a charge of ill-treating a child under his care.The court imposed gag orders protecting the victim, which prevents the accused, the welfare home and the victim from being named.The offender had been a welfare officer at the home since 2018 and was tasked with supervising the residents. He was also a practitioner of silat, a form of martial arts.The victim had been a resident at the home for about half a year when a woman spotted him climbing a parapet on the second floor on Aug 11, 2025.She complained to the welfare officer about the act.The victim later went to the prayer hall on the first floor and the officer scolded him about it.About 16 other residents were in the hall waiting for prayers to begin.While in a row behind the other residents, the officer perceived that the boy was smirking at him and smiling.He used Hokkien vulgarities on the boy and told the boy that he could spit saliva at him. He also said that the "camera" was not working, meaning that he could hit the boy without being caught.The man then swivelled his upper body and struck the boy's face with his elbow, causing him to stagger to the right.The boy stood still and was silent after this, but the man kicked him and pushed his chest, causing the boy to fall backwards onto his back and buttocks.The other residents heard the impact and turned to look, and the man instructed the boy to join the rest for prayer.The incident was caught on closed-circuit television cameras.The victim sought medical treatment for tenderness and was discharged that same day. The doctor filed a police report.The prosecution sought a "high fine" of S$6,000 to S$8,000, noting that the victim was a vulnerable young person entrusted to the officer's care.The defence lawyer, Mr Rajan Supramaniam from Regent Law, sought a lower fine. He said that his client had been "a good officer" in the home all these years and this was a one-off incident.When queried by Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan, Mr Hafiz said that his client is still employed at the home but no longer dealing directly with the residents.Judge Tan said that the aggravating factors are obvious in this case, noting how the man had abused his position of authority, betrayed his role and acted with premeditation.However, he noted that the home, at least, still values the man's services. There was also no evidence that the man has a history of abuse.He stressed to the offender that this was the maximum fine possible, and that if he reoffended, he would likely be given a jail term the next time.For ill-treating a child under his care, he could have been jailed for up to eight years or fined up to S$8,000, or both.