Baby shaken, smothered for months: Singapore couple plead guilty to causing or allowing son’s death
SINGAPORE, Oct 12 — A Singaporean couple pleaded guilty today to charges linked to the death of their eight-month-old son, who was repeatedly shaken, smothered and assaulted by his parents over several months.
According to Singapore news outlet CNA, Chloe Gan Ci Xuan, 23, and Neo Jia Ming, 27, admitted to offences including causing or allowing the death of a child, ill-treatment and permitting child abuse.
The court heard that the couple frequently shook their son, Trevor Neo Yu Hin, to stop him from crying, while both parents later resorted to covering his nose and mouth until he lost consciousness.
The abuse reportedly began when Trevor was just weeks old, with Gan hospitalising him in January 2024 after shaking him until he became unconscious.
Neo also allegedly pinched the infant’s fingers for amusement, slapped him and once covered his mouth and nose until he vomited milk and turned purple.
On September 1, 2024, Gan repeatedly pressed a blanket over Trevor’s face and struck him before turning him face down in his cot, while Neo was in the room playing a mobile phone game.
During the assault, Neo reportedly asked his wife: “How? You want the baby to die?”
Later that night, Neo discovered Trevor was no longer breathing, but reportedly refused to call an ambulance because he did not want to incur the cost, instead instructing Gan to arrange a taxi to hospital.
Trevor was pronounced dead at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital shortly after midnight on September 2, 2024, and both parents were arrested that morning.
Although a final autopsy could not establish a definitive cause of death, subsequent medical reports indicated that covering the infant’s mouth and placing him face down could have obstructed his breathing and resulted in fatal suffocation.
The court also heard that Gan faced financial and emotional stress, as well as physical abuse by her husband, although psychiatric assessments found that any adjustment disorder would not have impaired her ability to understand the risks of her actions.
The hearing continues, with the offence of causing a child’s death carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, alongside a fine or caning under Singapore law.
