SINGAPORE: Family members of a man who, along with his wife, abused their baby son before he died at the age of eight months said they had never noticed any signs of abuse and were shocked at details revealed in court.
Speaking outside the High Court, the man's mother and sister told reporters on Wednesday (Oct 21) that they had seen the couple and their son, Trevor, several times during the months when they have since learnt the abuse was taking place, but had never spotted any bruises on the baby.
They remembered Trevor as a “good boy” who was “always smiling”, and said they had never seen him cry.
The baby's parents, Chloe Gan Ci Xuan, 23, and Neo Jia Ming, 27, were sentenced on Wednesday to 15 years and three months' jail and 16 years' jail respectively for various offences linked to their son's death.
For about seven months of his life, Trevor was assaulted by his parents and left with bruises. His father would slap him so hard he left bruises, or pinch his fingers forcefully to see his reaction.
The couple also shook Trevor frequently to stop him from crying, and later began covering his nose and mouth or smothering him.
Neither parent intervened when they saw the other abusing the infant.
Trevor died after repeatedly being smothered by his mother in early September 2024.
Gan pleaded guilty to three charges: causing the death of a child, ill-treating a child and permitting such ill-treatment.
Neo pleaded guilty to four charges: allowing the death of a child, ill-treating a child, permitting Gan's ill-treatment of Trevor and domestic abuse of his wife.
“DOESN’T SOUND LIKE WHO HE IS”
Neo’s older sister, who wanted to be known only as Ms Neo, said that while her brother was not particularly close to anyone in the family, she shared the closest relationship with him.
“I cannot believe this is what my brother did. I read (the news), it just doesn’t sound like who he is. He’s not a person like this,” said the 29-year-old who works in the automotive industry.
“He is a very timid person, (who was) scared to get into trouble … So when I read the news … Everything doesn’t sound real. Everything I read doesn’t look real to me,” she said.
Both Ms Neo and the siblings’ mother, who wished to be known only as Mdm Koh, recalled how Neo had made extensive preparations for Trevor’s arrival after learning he was going to become a father, without asking his family for much help.
Speaking about her brother’s work ethic, Ms Neo repeatedly spoke of how hard he had worked to support his family.
“He is actually quite self-sufficient … I see him working very hard.”
Neo had a full-time job, earned money from food delivery after work, and worked part-time on his days off to earn extra income, she said.
Ms Neo also occasionally gave her brother money and helped buy milk powder and diapers for Trevor.
“I don’t know what happened in between," she said about the change in her brother's behaviour.
Asked about the domestic abuse charges against her brother, Ms Neo said she had never witnessed anything that suggested violence in his relationship with Gan.
She described the couple as “soft spoken” and did not notice any signs of trouble in their relationship.
She added that her brother appeared devoted to Gan and had taken her on holidays after Trevor was born.
“When I see my brother, Chloe is always around. I don’t see any bruises, I don’t see any marks on Chloe,” she said.
After Neo's arrest, Ms Neo said she initially visited her brother once every two to three months, but the visits became less frequent, taking place once every three to six months.
COUPLE APPEARED HAPPY
Mdm Koh also expressed disbelief at the details that emerged in the case, recalling how the couple and their baby had appeared happy during visits to her home.
She last saw Trevor when he was about eight months' old, but said she did not notice any signs of abuse. This would have been in the final weeks of the boy's life given that he died at the age of eight months.
Earlier reports stated that in May 2024, Gan's mother noticed bruises on the child and warned her daughter to stop hitting the infant. The boy would have been about four months' old at that point.
Mdm Koh said the couple would typically stay for three to four hours when they came over to her place for meals, and nothing about their behaviour had raised any alarm.
However, she recalled that the couple often appeared tired and would tell her that they were exhausted.
Speaking to the media in Mandarin, Mdm Koh said neither Neo nor Gan had ever complained to the family about Trevor crying excessively or about being unable to cope with caring for him.
She remembered Trevor as a good boy who enjoyed being carried.
Mdm Koh said that as she did not live in the same home as the couple, she she had no idea when the abuse began, but Neo did not bring Trevor over to her place frequently because their schedules often did not align.
Both Ms Neo and Mdm Koh appeared calm as they spoke to the media.
Earlier, as they entered the courtroom, they immediately made eye contact with Neo, who straightened in his chair. His mother gave him a subtle nod.
Following his sentencing, the two women had a brief opportunity to speak to Neo.
They relayed the fact that during their conversation, Neo told them that he hoped to continue studying while in prison. Ms Neo said she encouraged him to work hard.
Gan's parents were also present in court and appeared sombre as the sentences were read out. They declined to speak to the media after the sentencing.
They, too, had a chance to speak to their daughter.
Gan nodded as her mother spoke with her, wiping her eyes as her nose appeared red. Her mother reached through a small gap in the transparent partition to hold her hand, while her father did the same to gently touch her chin.