A 16-year-old boy has been convicted of rioting while armed with a deadly weapon after he and five other youths attacked a 17-year-old male at Buona Vista MRT station on 1 Sep 2024.
The group had mistakenly thought the victim had raped a female friend. They realised during the assault that no such incident had taken place.
Teen Convicted for Buona Vista Rail Corridor Attack
The main accused, who cannot be named due to a gag order, was convicted on 24 Mar 2025. He is currently in remand and will be sentenced on 17 Jul 2025.
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The court called for a report on 9 Jun 2025 to determine if the teenager was suitable for reformative training. Young offenders who undergo reformative training are detained in a centre with a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.
The attack involved six youths aged between 13 and 17 years old. The group consisted of four boys and two girls.
The accused and co-accused persons are all Singaporeans. The 17-year-old female friend is a Chinese national.
The incident began when the 17-year-old female friend confided in a 16-year-old boy in the group about her relationship issues. The boy she told her problems to misinterpreted the situation and thought that the girl had been raped.
The 16-year-old boy then contacted another male youth and asked him to confront and assault the victim. However, the latter did not take part in the attack as he was tired.
The conversation between them was on loudspeaker and overheard by two other boys aged 13 and 14. They were angered and decided to join the attack.
Group Assembly and Violent Assault at Rail Corridor
The two boys aged 13 and 14 were at MacPherson estate hanging out with one boy and one girl. They mentioned the alleged rape and the intention to attack the person supposedly responsible for it.
The boy, who was the main accused, and the girl, aged 15, decided to join the attack. They did not know the 16-year-old boy whom the 17-year-old girl had confided in about her relationship problems.
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The group of four then took a private hire vehicle to the incident location. The girl, who was believed to have been raped, arranged to meet the victim at Buona Vista MRT station at about 11pm.
The accused, along with the two boys aged 13 and 14, as well as the girl aged 15, arrived at Buona Vista MRT station. At the MRT station was the girl who was allegedly raped and the boy she confided in, as well as the victim.
They led the victim to a more secluded location at the rail corridor near the MRT station. At about 11:20pm, the group arrived at the incident location and surrounded the victim.
The two youngest boys, aged 13 and 14, together with the main accused, started kicking and punching the victim on his chest and body. The victim fell to the ground.
The girl, who was thought to have been raped, and the boy she confided in, then joined in the assault. While the victim was on the ground and being assaulted, the accused proceeded to shave off the victim’s eyebrows.
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The main accused brandished a deadly weapon, a flick knife with a 9cm blade, and pointed it at the victim. He asked whether the victim wanted to “try the knife”.
The assault lasted for about three minutes before the group made the victim perform humiliating acts, such as licking the ground and the accused’s feet.
The entire episode from the time the victim fell to the ground was recorded by the 15-year-old girl in the group using the 14-year-old boy’s handphone.
The accused and the five co-accused persons then spoke to the victim about the alleged rape and realised that it was a misunderstanding. They learned that no rape had occurred.
They then apologised to the victim for the assault and left.
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The next day, the victim sought medical treatment at the National University Hospital. The victim suffered several injuries, including lacerations on his left cheek, multiple bruises on his back and abrasions on his knee and elbow.
He lodged a police report a day after the attack.
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
