'Lazy or what?': Woman criticised for cleaning boy's soiled bottom in VivoCity Kopitiam

A patron at VivoCity's Kopitiam food court complained about an unpleasant dining experience recently, when a woman decided to wipe a child's bottom right in front of them.

User Charminn Ngiam posted two photos on Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Nov 29, showing a young boy standing on a bench in a crowded food court.

In one photo, the caregiver stands behind the boy, holding up a wad of tissue paper after having seemingly cleaned his bottom. A separate photo showed her handling the soiled diaper on the bench beside the boy.

The netizen wrote: "Told the food court manager at VivoCity a lady is cleaning her son's butt. The manager told her to stop cleaning. She didn't look apologetic at all. The kid was wearing diapers. I don't know why she needed to clean right there. Pried her kid's a** open to clean his sh**," 

Many netizens were similarly put off by the woman's inconsiderate behaviour and lack of hygiene.

"These people really have no manners at all. Acted blind as if nobody's around. Was wondering if there's anything we can do?" a netizen wrote.

Another netizen wrote: "Indecent exposure. Child abuse. Isn't this punishable by law?"

"All food courts have toilets, why didn't she bring him to wash there? Lazy or what," one of them added.

One netizen, however, appeared to defend the woman for her actions. 

"VivoCity Kopitiam has no toilets nearby. The nearest toilet is either one level up or [one would have to] walk about 100m away. It costs [sic] a lot of inconvenience for elderly." they wrote.

However, other netizens also shared that distance is not an excuse for the woman's actions.

One commenter replied: "It's about educating the kid as well. Doesn't mean just because he's a child you can just take off his pants and clean in a food court. Hygiene plays a part too."

Another added: "Even with no toilets, how can she do that in a food court? It's also to teach the child what is proper behaviour, what is shame.

"Moreover, the child is not a baby, he's a toddler and is exposed in full view by standing on the seat. The child may grow up thinking it's okay to flash himself in public."

This isn't the first time caregivers have faced online criticism for handling toilet matters in food courts.

In 2022, a photo of a boy relieving himself in a bottle at a food court in Tiong Bahru Plaza also drew criticism online, with many netizens appalled by the caregiver's action.

However, there were others who defended the caregiver then, sharing that she could have risked losing her bowl of ice kacang that she had paid for if she'd left her seat, or that it could have been an emergency for the boy and she had no choice.

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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