River Valley High School slashing: Teen accused of killing schoolmate to plead guilty

SINGAPORE — A teenager accused of killing his River Valley High School (RVHS) schoolmate in 2021 intends to plead guilty to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh told the court on Thursday (April 6) the teen is expected to do so in August. The case has also been transferred to the High Court.

The 18-year-old boy cannot be named as he was 16 years old when he allegedly committed the offence.

Those below 18 are covered under the Children and Young Persons Act.

He was originally handed a murder charge but it was reduced, in February, to that of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

He allegedly used an axe to repeatedly slash the neck, head and body of a 13-year-old boy inside a toilet at RVHS in Boon Lay Avenue between 11.15am and 11.45am on July 19, 2021.

He allegedly did so with the intent to cause the younger boy's death.

The two were not known to each other, police investigations showed.

During earlier proceedings, the court heard the accused had attempted suicide in 2019, and was assessed at the Institute of Mental Health.

In an update on July 16, 2022, the Ministry of Education said that after the incident, the school made an effort to look out for students and staff who needed socio-emotional support.

RVHS was resourced with additional counsellors, and mental well-being awareness talks were conducted for its students, the ministry added.

The accused, who has been in remand since the incident, took his O-levels examinations as a private candidate while in custody. He is represented by lawyers Sunil Sudheesan and Joyce Khoo from Quahe Woo & Palmer.

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Offenders convicted of culpable homicide not amounting to murder can be jailed for up to 20 years, fined or caned, or receive any combination of such punishments.

Only males aged between 18 and 50 years old certified to be in a fit state of health can be caned. The offence allegedly happened when the accused was under 18 years old.

ALSO READ: River Valley High School slashing: Teen's murder charge reduced to culpable homicide

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.