The 35-year-old former teacher at Kinderland Preschool is jailed for ill-treating toddlers, with her actions caught on camera.
A former preschool teacher in Singapore was sentenced to 17 months and two weeks in prison on March 13, 2025, after pleading guilty to ill-treating four children. Min Lin, 35, who taught Mandarin at Kinderland Preschool, was convicted on three counts of mistreatment, with three similar charges taken into account.
The children, aged between one and three years old, were subjected to force-feeding of water by Lin. The case drew significant attention in 2023, when she was filmed forcibly making a 23-month-old girl drink water on June 30 at Kinderland Preschool in Woodlands Mart. The child choked and struggled, while another teacher captured the incident on video, which was later shared online.
Earlier that same month, Lin attempted to make a two-year-old boy drink water twice. The parents of both children reported that their children experienced nightmares after the incidents.
District Judge John Ng acknowledged that Lin did not act with malice but pointed out her disregard for the harm her actions caused. He noted the psychological trauma suffered by the toddlers, their parents, and other children who witnessed the events. The defence’s argument that Lin had been overly concerned about the children’s hydration was rejected.
In court, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jotham Tay highlighted the cruelty involved, stating that Lin’s actions caused obvious distress to the children. Lin’s lawyer, Kalidass Murugaiyan, argued that her intentions were to prevent dehydration, but the judge was unconvinced. Lin had faced up to eight years in prison, a fine of $8,000, or both, for child mistreatment.
Following her arrest, Lin was held in the Institute of Mental Health for two weeks in 2023 for evaluation.
