KUALA LUMPUR: A 38-year-old Singaporean man's decision to discipline his four-year-old child for lying by forcing a chili into his mouth proved fatal after the boy choked to death.
Two years on from the incident, the father of four has now been sentenced to jail by a Singapore court.
According to a CNA report, the incident happened on Aug 2, 2022, when the man noticed the victim, who was going through toilet training at the time, smelled of faeces.
He was supposed to tell his parents if he needed to go to the toilet.
When the man asked his son about the smell, he denied relieving himself. He then sought to discipline his son about lying by forcing him to eat a small piece of chili.
However, the chili became lodged in the boy's throat and he collapsed.
Efforts to dislodge the chili at home were unsuccessful. The boy's parents then rushed him to a nearby clinic, but by then, the boy was not breathing and had no pulse.
He was then taken to the Sengkang General Hospital, but efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. The boy was pronounced dead at 3.10 pm.
The father's lawyer, Taufiq Suraidi sought a lesser sentence owing to testimonials from his wife and children that he was not an abusive man but a loving parent.
The defence also argued that the man took precautions by not forcing the entire chili into his son's mouth and stopped once he felt the chili pass his son's teeth.
"All this shows that his sole intention in disciplining his son was only to teach him that lying is not a behaviour that should be carried out," said Taufiq, adding his client was remorseful for his actions.
He said the man had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder after the incident.
"This is something he will have to live with for the rest of his life," said the lawyer.
District Judge Ong Hian Sun described the case as "sad" and that such methods of disciplining a child should be discouraged.
The man was sentenced to eight months in jail for one count of a rash act causing death.