RVHS 16YO Student Charged with Murder & to be Remanded for Psychiatric Assessment; Reportedly Was a Patient from IMH

The murder rate in Singapore may be low, but people are still killed every year for various reasons.

Still, when murders occur here, they immediately grab headlines and capture people’s attention.

But perhaps no murder has been more shocking in recent years than the one which took place yesterday, as it involved two secondary school students.

Sec 1 Student Killed By Sec 4 Student at River Valley High School

Yesterday afternoon (19 July), a deadly assault occurred at River Valley High School.

A 13-year-old boy, a Sec 1 student, was allegedly murdered by a 16-year-old student in a bathroom on the fourth floor.

The police said they received a call for assistance at around 11.40am. When officers arrived at the scene, the found the 13-year-old victim lying motionless in the bathroom.

He had sustained multiple wounds and was pronounced dead by a paramedic.

The cause of death was not made known to the public, but the police said they had seized an axe as an exhibit.

Early police investigations revealed that the two teens did not know each other.

After news of the assault broke, students were told to stay in their classrooms and were not let out for their lunch break.

The school also made an announcement on the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Parents’ Gateway portal about a “serious incident” that had taken place in their school involving a Sec 1 student, and that a Sec 4 student was assisting with police investigations.

Some parents had turned up at the school following the message. Students were finally released from the school at 3.30pm. They were not allowed to speak to the media.

Sec 4 Student Charged with Murder & to be Remanded for Psychiatric Assessment; Reportedly Was a Patient from IMH

Today (20 July), the 16-year-old was charged in court with murdering the Sec 1 student.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the offender purchased the weapon online.

The teen, who cannot be named as he’s under 18, will be remanded for psychiatric assessment and will return to court on 10 Aug.

According to TODAYonline, he was previously a patient at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and had attempted suicide in 2019.

At the time, he was taken into custody and referred to IMH to have his mental health assessed. He was eventually discharged.

The Sec 4 student reportedly looked emotionless, tired, and disheveled during his hearing which took place via video link.

The charge of murder usually carries the death penalty, but because the boy is under 18, he may be sentenced to life imprisonment instead if convicted.

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a Facebook post that his ministry was shocked when it received news of the incident.

“Our thoughts are with the families of the students concerned. Ministry of Education, Singapore is rendering all possible support to them, and the students and staff at the school,” he wrote.

He stressed that the safety and well-being of students and staff are of “paramount importance”.

Addressing a message to students, he said: “We will take care of you as always. If you need to talk to anyone, or know someone who needs help, please reach out to an adult, your teachers or school counsellors. You are never alone, and we will always stand ready to help you.