I enjoy reading but the kind of stuff I read is mostly related to money and investments these days. Gone are the days when I would read a book of fiction every week.
A friend told me I have no life because I don't read the "Life" section of The Straits Times. Droll.
Anyway, just now, I read a story in Yahoo which evoked within me a mixed feeling of condemnation and sadness for the guilty party. Many times, things are not black or white although I would prefer for them to be so as it would make life easier.
This story has nothing to do with money and investments:
A 32-year-old female Singaporean teacher was sentenced to a year in jail on Monday for having sex with a 15-year-old boy in her school, local media reported.
The teacher, who was married with two children, started a relationship with the student last year after she started counselling him, the Straits Times daily reported on its website.
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| The teacher-student-monument in Rostock, Germany. |
I think it is more common to read about male teachers in such cases or am I being sexist here?
After reading the story, my initial reaction was that the female teacher deserves the punishment. Pure and simple. Then, although I still think she should be punished, I feel a bit sad for her.
Under Singapore law, an adult found guilty of engaging sexual intercourse with anyone under the age of 16 -- even if it's consensual -- faces up to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine or both.
The boy is one year away from being legal. Could they not have been really in love?
Of course, there are other issues involved here such as how the teacher abused a position of power and trust. So, if the boy had been a JC student, the teacher could still have been dismissed by MOE but she would have been spared a jail sentence?
Once people are married, they are no longer fully their own person. They are only half a person. Whatever they do, they should think of the other half. If they have children, the responsibility becomes heavier as the children could be psychologically scarred for life through parents' thoughtless behaviour. So, I feel sad for her family too.
Then, I thought perhaps the boy's family could have thought about the teacher's situation and how they could have dealt with the issue differently. People do wrong sometimes. Perhaps, a private meeting with the teacher and a warning that she should stay away from their son would suffice?
Psychiatrists found "no predatory paedophilic tendencies" in the teacher. So, she is not a threat to the young in society at large. Of course, this fact only came to light because the case went to Court.
In a different time and age, could this have had a different outcome?
Read full story:
here.
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