8/29/2019

Benjamin Lim - A pathetic case of unnecessary and premature death

'In 2016, 14-year-old Benjamin Lim fell to his death from his Yishun flat, hours after returning home from Ang Mo Kio police division for an alleged molestation incident involving an 11-year-old girl in a lift.

The North View Secondary School student was brought to the police station by police officers for his statement to be taken and released to his mother after being questioned by the police for three and a half hours, without the presence of a lawyer or accompanied by any adult.

As expected, the case sparked a debate on police processes and speculation over the circumstances leading up to his death. In fact, many instances of what happened before his death also emerged, causing the Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam to take the rather unusual step of delivering a ministerial statement on the issue in Parliament in March 2016.

In August that year, State Coroner Marvin Bay ruled that the teenager’s death was a deliberate act of suicide that could have occurred probably from issues with managing his anger and emotions, as well as stress of being under criminal investigations....'

The above is from M Ravi's post in the TRE on the need to protect a child during police interrogation by the presence of an adult so that a child would not self incriminate itself. What is so tragic about this case was what Benjamin was put through alone, a 14 year old being interrogated in the police station by police officers. How frightening was the experience to a young boy without his parents or teachers to lean on for support.

Let hope no young person in Singapore would ever have to go through the same ordeal as Benjamin Lim. Some might have the wrong impression that Benjamin was having a party with his friends in the police station instead. His sad and miserable ending told you otherwise. This is a case of feeling sorry for Benjamin and his family is not good enough.

Anyone feeling guilty about Benjamin's death? Any sense of guilt, prick by conscience? Or everyone thought they had been very kind and caring to Benjamin?

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

The policemen concerned should know better not to do what they have done in the first place. This is sheer negligence of due process on the part of the police officers. Period.

imho said...

Cannot all blame police. Many teenagers commit suicide these days because of breakup, poor results, being ugly, etc. Teenagers must learn to be tougher. Life is too short to live in negative situations. Jesus went thru so much also never commit suicide. He is a role model for anyone who is wrongly accused.

Anonymous said...

Feeling sorry or Ministerial Statements in the Parliament are grossly insufficient when a young innocent, impressionable, easily influenced and frightened, early teen's life and potential NSman to protect the country, is LOST FOREVER.

The guilty parties are from the school and the police station. No doubt about it.

They directly or indirectly, subtle or grossly, intentionally or unconsciously, have in one way or another contributed to the child's unnecessary, preventable, lamentable and untimely death by suicide.

There now must be a process in place, as a standard operating procedure, for the school and the police to ensure that no such negligence of due process happens again.

Unpardonable!

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ RB and other bullshit “do-gooders” and cry babies:

>> Anyone feeling guilty about Benjamin's death? Any sense of guilt, prick by conscience? Or everyone thought they had been very kind and caring to Benjamin? <<

I feel not one iota of guilt. You fail to see the “positive” side of this in that a sexual predator may have done humanity a HUGE FAVOUR by offing himself, on purpose or accidently.

It is not the place of the police to be “kind and caring” when dealing with a suspect. Their role is LAW ENFORCEMENT---to ensure that they get as much evidence as they can to make a case or throw it out.

Let’s cut the bullshit:
If a teenager is suspected of committing an adult crime, then he should be treated like an adult suspect.

We’re breeding a generation of “soft” and “emotionally fragile” kids and teens who grow up and are inadequately prepared to deal with the existential vicissitudes of REAL HUMAN LIFE as an autonomous, independent adult.

We bring them up having high expectations (which is ok) but thinking that they are ENTITLED to have those expectations fulfilled by ”someone else”.

The #1 FACT OF LIFE these kids (and overgrown kids in past their 35th birthday) should smack into their brains is:

NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU, YOUR FEELINGS OR YOUR PROBLEMS
Grow The Fuck Up! 🀟

Anonymous said...

@ August 29, 2019 9:24 am:

/// Cannot all blame police. Many teenagers commit suicide these days because of breakup, poor results, being ugly, etc. Teenagers must learn to be tougher. Life is too short to live in negative situations. Jesus went thru so much also never commit suicide. He is a role model for anyone who is wrongly accused.
///

KNN, you think every young boy can become Jesus, Son of God? You are obviously addicted to religions' drugs. You need to be sodomized to bring you to your senses.

Virgo 49 said...

Sinkies Leaders in any fields are just too timid and always mind their own business being kiasi, kaisu and kai everything including their own shadows to bear their responsibilities and professions that being bestowed or appointed to them.

Just like Robots doing thru their menial jobs and professions. As long as NOT my business don't bother to be involved.

Kay boh eng.

See Senior Officers and NCOs in charge of their men in the SAF do NOT discharged their responsibilities and duties to protect their men. Just a simple command to get out of the way will save a young life.

SCDF just the same. Now accusing each other of even ragging their own men. Just one simple command to stop the nonsense will save a young life.

Teachers and Principals and Senior Mastere just simply have the responsibilities to accompany BL to the Station and insisted that his parents are to be present will also save a young life.

They must also NOT speculate on the matter and be discreet and kept a low key to protect the identity of the young children.

Not to discriminate against him as he may be innocent before been guilty. Anyway, there are more serious crimes committed by adults than a fourteen year old boy.

The Professionals of Today are unlike the Professionals of our yester years. Our Commanders and Leaders are so serious and strict in their professions in whatsoever appointments professions that they held.

Today, even Education Leaders are involved in so many scandals that brought disgrace to their professions.

Aiya, give up. Lucky my two children do not want to procreate another generation to undergo these unnecessary and unfortunate incidents. NOT accidents.

Time for another round of Roulette and Jackpots.

Good luck Restaurant here we come for another round of Western Food.
Only at 9 Genting Points Meals.

Cheers

Anonymous said...

The background of the below foul-mouth person and his weird and oblique thinking is that his wife and children have all left him for good.

And he now is living alone in Australia, going around screwing other people's wives and daughters.

Beware!


/// Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️August 29, 2019 9:30 am

@ RB and other bullshit “do-gooders” and cry babies:

>> Anyone feeling guilty about Benjamin's death? Any sense of guilt, prick by conscience? Or everyone thought they had been very kind and caring to Benjamin? <<

I feel not one iota of guilt. You fail to see the “positive” side of this in that a sexual predator may have done humanity a HUGE FAVOUR by offing himself, on purpose or accidently.

It is not the place of the police to be “kind and caring” when dealing with a suspect. Their role is LAW ENFORCEMENT---to ensure that they get as much evidence as they can to make a case or throw it out.

Let’s cut the bullshit:
If a teenager is suspected of committing an adult crime, then he should be treated like an adult suspect.

We’re breeding a generation of “soft” and “emotionally fragile” kids and teens who grow up and are inadequately prepared to deal with the existential vicissitudes of REAL HUMAN LIFE as an autonomous, independent adult.

We bring them up having high expectations (which is ok) but thinking that they are ENTITLED to have those expectations fulfilled by ”someone else”.

The #1 FACT OF LIFE these kids (and overgrown kids in past their 35th birthday) should smack into their brains is:

NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU, YOUR FEELINGS OR YOUR PROBLEMS
Grow The Fuck Up! �� ///

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Matilah, your comments made you smell like a piece of shit.

Just imagine that Benjamin is your son or grandson, alone in the police station, all strangers and looking very intimidating and frightening, interrogating the young 14 year old. The fear itself would be unbearable. And there was no one he knew to turn to. It was hostile territory, cut off from the rest of the world, from people he could seek comfort from.

How many young 14 year olds can take this kind of pressure? Please, imagine what was going on inside the minds of this boy. He was likely to be trembling in fear, maybe urinating in his pants.

Matilah, if you were in his shoes, at 14, you would fare nothing better. The world closed up on this boy. No one was there to lend a helping hand, a consoling hand. He was alone....ALONE.

Please don't give me the crap that they were very nice and sweet and caring to him. If you believe in these craps, you are a piece of shit.

Anonymous said...

In a more humane way, everyone deserves a chance to change & be given an opportunity to change oneself when he or she is wronged. The Universal law of cause and effect or karma applies to every one here.

Anonymous said...

You cannot argue and win against an Islamic fundamentalist. When they lose an argument they resort to issuing 'fatwas' or should I say vulgarities.

Let them win. Try not to put them in normal people's shoes.

Anonymous said...

@All,

While the police were likely sia-lan & guai-lan in handling the case, this is the norm since 100,000BC until 2016 --- when SG police change their SOPs for suspects below 16yo.

Many other countries including China & some parts of US also practice similar methods, or worse, when dealing with kid suspects.

At the end of the day, Ben Lim himself was unable to handle the mental stress & took the decision to jump. His mother could have handled it better, rather than letting him go into his room alone & leaving him, while she did her own things. As parents, they would know his mental capacity to take stress.

Should the police have been more lenient & soft in their actions? Maybe but that would have meant bending the existing SOPs at that time --- great if nothing happens, but kena blackmark, bonus cut, loss job etc if something happens.

Thanks to Ben Lim, now the SOPs changed for suspects below 16yo. That means a gang of 10 14-15yo hooligans can beat & knife & rob old people, and police have no choice but to treat them nicely as suspects.

Anonymous said...

This is not a case of expecting the police to be more lenient or soft. Listen to M Ravi on the rights of a child and the need to protect a child. There would be child murderers at the age of less than 14.

What was Benjamin accused of? He touched a girl or tried to be friendly to a girl. Was he violent, assaulted the girl, beat up anyone?

This was a boy growing up and behaved like many boys except perhaps he did it inappropriately. There was no attempt to hurt anyone, just a boy getting interested in the opposite sex.

Benjamin was no rapist, murderer, accused of violent crimes. Scared our of wits when arrested and taken away in a police car without any adult accompanying him.

Anonymous said...

Knn.
Matilah Singapura is talking like as though everybody is as smart as him.
lf the Boy was smart like Matilar,
he would had screwed and chewed up the police investigating him.
This is what we would expect smart Matilda is able to waltz with anybody and gets away victorious.
Anyway,
there must be proper procedure to ensure that everyone is accorded protection and justice,
including suspect of any age, gender and intellect.
lf the Law fails to provide justice,
the Society cannot be cannot be said to be well rule and wholesome.

Matilah
Singapore if Matilar runs Singapura.

Knn again.


Anonymous said...

If a 14 yr old boy squeeze your daughter's neh neh, or stalk & harass her ... I bet you will personally go & stomp on the kid's balls.

Which actually happened in another case --- father walloped some boy who threatened his kid.

Maybe 1 or 2 of the policemen had young daughters ... and they kena transference of protection of their own daughters onto this boy molestor suspect.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ 1208

Exactly.

Redbean's tactic is try to "guilt trip" people. He doesn't understand that his own tactic could be used against him. i.e. what if it was his daughter in the lift? To an 11 yr old girl, a 14/15 yr old boy could be "intimidating" and "scary". He doesn't have to press her tetek or korek her puki...but in a lift she'd be defenseless anyway.

So I am standing by the comments in my first post.

But wait...there's more...

@ 1142

>> there must be proper procedure to ensure that everyone is accorded protection and justice,
including suspect of any age, gender and intellect. <<


Kanninah back to you too. That's exactly what I said: ADULT CRIME GETS ADULT JUSTICE and subject to ADULT LAW ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURE.

I should come over and shit in your daughter's mouth (with hr permission of course and the usual $50 she charges in Desker Road)/ You can watch and upload the memorable event to YouTube.🀑

Anyway, according to Christian doctrine, suicide is a grave sin. Therefore (again according to Christian doctrine) our hero Benji might be in hell being fucked in his ass by Satan....however as an atheist I don't believe in the afterlife, heaven or hell....so Benji is safe. πŸ˜‚

So, if Benji killed himself because he molested a young kid, I think he did the right thing and therefore should be eligible for some type of award or public recognition. If more sexual predators took this brave action, we'd have a better world.

Knn said...

9,36am I agreed with you this matilar dude really need to be sodomized jialat jialat to his senses as for RB comment on him, given his incest background if he has a 14 years old son, don't think he will 0ass the chance of aodomizng his own son so he does not feel anything.

Knn said...

9,36am I agreed with you this matilar dude really need to be sodomized jialat jialat to his senses as for RB comment on him, given his incest background if he has a 14 years old son, don't think he will pass the chance of aodomizng his own son so he does not feel anything.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

P.S.

>> Matilah
Singapore if Matilar runs Singapura. <<


Fucking idiot. You should jump in front of a bus or train, man... just a suggestion. 🀣

I have absolutely NO DESIRE to run Singapore. As a 1st class Hotel, Singapore runs tip-top, second to none in the whole world. It is fucking awesome and rocks...

But Singapore is under the threat of "Matilah" because of people like you and the bad genes that you've used to create offspring. Unfortunately, there's so many of "your type of people". But FORTUNATELY, many of the "bad genes" are being replaced by new genetic material from the foreigners who've come to make Singapore their HOME.

Oh yea, there is HOPE! πŸ€“

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Hi

Life is very very very funny!

FATE! FATE! FATE! NO one can run away.

Correct?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ Knn

When are you going to invite me around so I can st your house with your family in it on fire? πŸ”₯πŸ’€πŸ˜œ Get rid of the "bad genes" lah. My patriotic duty beckons! πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡¬

Knn said...

9,36am I agreed with you this matilar dude really need to be sodomized jialat jialat to his senses as for RB comment on him, given his incest background if he has a 14 years old son, don't think he will pass the chance of aodomizng his own son so he does not feel anything. He should focus on the followin

1) how to boast about sexual power when both tiny are missing
2) the art of incest
3) the guide on how to bull shits
4) how to irritate people and waste their time daily
5) learning to be thick skin and flameproof
6) how to tahan when your ass kena fucked
7) how to act as patriot when you are a traitor
8) how to act and look normal when you are actually insane
9) learning to speak when a cock is stuck in your mouth
10) how to con your sisters and daughters to continue having sex with you without reporting to the police.
11) How to develop multi tasking skill. Sharing of secret on Learning how to type on keyboard posting commentary on blog when there is a hard cock pushing in and out in Matilar mouth.
12) How to cook two tiny to be delicious enough that the pigs would eat them.
13) How to brag about your intelligence when you have none and how to tahan when both mouth and ass kena screwed at the same time.
14) How to inflate two flat tyres when the holes in the tires have not been mended!
15) How to boast to women you have a rolls Royce when you only have a Mini Cooper with four flat tires and running out of petrol!
16) The Matilar secret. How do you stick your little pecker into a donkey's mouth and don't ended up the donkey chew off your little pecker and two tiny.
17) The Matilar way. how to satisfy your lust with minimal outlay, keep a little pig, pull all it's teeth and enjoy oral sex each day till the pig grows then sell it to slaughter house as food to make money.
18) how to be persistent to be an irritant even though you have been fucked from right to left in your ass.
19) The Matilar secret-How to hold on to your two tiny from falling off when laughing uncontrollably

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ KNN

I think you have a crush on me. 😘

Thanks for your attention. You're doing pretty good for a person with bad genes. πŸ˜‚

Anonymous said...

RB, there are some posts here amounting to inciting violence, indirectly and directly.

Please do the necessary for the good name of your blog. And for our society.

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

The issue is that he was questioned by police alone, a 14 year old boy.

Put it this way - had an adult or his mother accompanied him during the questioning, perhaps she would be aware of how his reaction was going to be and will he be able to handle himself. Perhaps his suicidal tendency could be avoided with proper counselling if those around him had been aware of his distraught condition.

Even adults break down under duress, not to talk of someone that is hardly an adult. How do we classify an adult? Why do we deny voting for those below 21 years old?

Anyway, a totally sad case. Only parents can understand the pain. And the police the biggest part of the blame. How could they not realise that they are not dealing with an adult. Why are sex perverts given a second chance when they have been proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, whereas this is only someone being accused of molest based on one side of the story? Alright we cannot argue with the law. Might is right!

Anonymous said...

@anon 1122am

///He touched a girl or tried to be friendly to a girl. Was he violent, assaulted the girl, beat up anyone? There was no attempt to hurt anyone, just a boy getting interested in the opposite sex.///

Sounds exactly like what any red blooded 16 or 45yo will say when caught LOL!!

BTW you DO know intentional touches, no matter how light, can constitute assault or even battery?

And words or non-contact body language can be assault, harassment, or outrage of modesty?

Anonymous said...

@anon 121pm

///Perhaps his suicidal tendency could be avoided with proper counselling if those around him had been aware of his distraught condition.///

Exactly.

His mother left amk police stn with him at 250pm. They had lunch then went home. After that he played hp games & apparently was left alone till 415pm.

Does this sound like what you would do if you think your kid is suicidal?

At 415pm the school called & told the mother better he don't go for school camp next day. Around 417pm mother informed him about this. 420pm he jumped.

It's obvious even as a parent of 14 yrs, the mother wasn't even aware or believe he can commit suicide. Shouldn't she have known better or picked up the signs? If even the mother can't tell then nobody else can.

Even if the mother or counsellor were present during the police questioning (only 1 investigation officer in his office cubicle, not in interroation room) ... seriously doubt will make any difference.

There seems to be one thing missing on this blog, and that is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Anon 1:14pm, there was a swine woman that said mentioning beef curry can get one killed.

You need to tell me which comment can incite violence and see how the people here think or if I agree with you.

Anonymous said...

Talk until nothing to talk!

Why talk about this sad case again?

Why? Why? Why?

Anonymous said...

I cannot comprehend even head of

Drugs enforcement department also

Don't know the power given to him

By the law!can commit wrong.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ Idiot alert 1.14

>> RB, there are some posts here amounting to inciting violence, indirectly and directly.

Please do the necessary for the good name of your blog. And for our society. <<


Oh please with this "our society" bullshit. Who say's RB blog has a name...bad or good? You are an idiot. Please look for ways to remove your genes from our cuntry...in your words "for our society" 🀣

Violence is a daily occurrence here. Yeah, violence of ANONS against ANONS. Everyday got the VIOLENCE OF PRISON RAPE...because some people just tak boleh tahan sodomy is their "universal solution" to diverse opinions ad relationship issues. πŸ€£πŸ˜‚ Please make police report. I hope the cops SHOOT YOU FOR WASTING THEIR TIME. πŸ’©πŸ˜

Anonymous said...

@Matilah,

///SHOOT YOU FOR WASTING THEIR TIME.///

Hahaha!!! Reminds me of the recent viral news of waiter shot for being too slow.

What would happen in S'pore too if we allowed guns for masses

Anonymous said...

I will vote Opposition to show Benjamin that I think he died unnecessarily.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha.... yes, anonymous 3.42pm, Ben will meet you and shake your hand one of night to say thank you!

Anonymous said...

Hahaha!

Sinkieland is 2nd safest city in the world!!!

Coz we are able to identify future dangerous criminals when they are young & convince them to commit suicide!!

Of course still got those adult confirmed criminals who manage to come in due to legs-open policy.

If close-legs, Sinkieland sure Number 1 Safest city in the world!!! Hahaha!!!

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ 320

Mainstream Media and Cognitive Dissonance

This shooting over a sandwich t a French cafe is a Black Swan Event but yet the cheeky media reports such things with a subtext that would suggest these things so often that the world is going to hell.

The possible cognitive biases at play here are the anchoring bias---the tendency to focus too much on present (emotionally-charged) information; and the recency bias---the tendency to focus on “fresh” events that occurred recently and disregard anything that happened or DID NOT HAPPEN in the past.

And so the media make a “big deal” out this “extraordinary event”...which is statistically insignificant.

As Tom Clancy remind us : The difference between FICTION and REALITY, is that FICTION has to make sense!

============================================

Gun ownership for the masses will never occur in Singapore because it's not in the culture.

In the USA, there's a strong precedent for the 2nd Amendment---the right to bear arms. During the War for American Independence, the first thing the (British) govt did was to DISARM the dissidents by confiscating all the citizens’ guns. The result was the colonists had to fight a guerrilla war.

Most revolutions in other cuntries are fought by the unwashed masses who don’t even have a pot to piss in nor the security of daily food...let alone any money or capital resources required to fight a war.

The American colonists were different. They were mostly educated rich men, people of means which is why they could essentially fund a small navy including very crude submarines (The Turtle...unsuccessful though). They owned large estates and other property including slaves, so the Brits were up against a very formidable “enemy” which eventually succeeded in their quest and sent the British packing.

The new guys in the new govt were full of GREAT NEW IDEAS, and ever since then there has never been a cuntry created purely out of ideas based on individuality and the basic right to pursue whatever makes the individual “happy”---including and especially PERSONAL PROPERTY.

America is an IDEA...and doesn’t follow the bullshit narrative of other cuntries like for e.g. “this land is ours becoz our ancestors mixed their blood with the soil”, and other forms of “fake patriotic GARBAGE”.

After a lot of back-and-forths, the constitution was amended to include the 1st and 2nd Amendments. More followed later.
The 1st Amendment secures the right to freedom of speech, belief and thought, and the 2nd Amendment secures the right to own weapons and form citizens’ militias.

We don’t have such “powerful events” in our history of Singapore, although our story is also a story of BALLS and GUTS, and the ability to acquire and grow CAPITAL not only as a nation but also as INDIVIDUALS

Huat Ah!

Anonymous said...

Matilar, which one do you like best based on Knn anon post. I like 19. U agreed? πŸ˜€

Virgo 49 said...

The Schools Management group of supposed Educators are to be blamed equally for their verdict that BL is guilty of his yet to be convicted crime.

How can they also forbid him to go to the camp? This is discrimations on their part.

Just have the excuse better for him to be with his family.

Washing off their hands. When we are been drafted into the SAF.

The first words the Officers and NCOs blared into us.

We are now your Fathers and Mothers. We be your gurdians for your well being and SAFETY.

So also when the children are in their schools, the Principals and Teachers are the gurdians for the children's well being and SAFETY.

How can they shirk their respective responsibilities?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ Virgo

There you go being an idiot again.

Don't want trouble? Then don't molest 11 year old girls in lifts.

How simple is that?

Good riddance to a sexual predator

Anonymous said...

So glad North view secondary school is closed down now...was a student there long before benjamin..i blame the school every bit, stupid school. Took so much of unwarranted 'disciplinary' actions they liked and very backwards. No proper system for disciplinary actions too.. i would myself have taken my life then being a teenager and under such a stupid,backwards school system and staff(not all of them though) but somehow i survived. However, i do wish i had seeked helped earlier..i struggle with clinical anxiety now and am an advocate for children and teenagers seeking help for mental health issues. I still rmbr being screamed and punished at in a full parade square by a teacher for something i never did. I was only 14 too, and a female...it was horribly embarrassing and i was trying to find for my voice but i couldn't..all i could do was cry. Now thinking back of all these as an adult, it just infuriates me how those little shits got away with these..i pity benjamin,he should have never gone to such a school..though he may(or may not) have molested the girl, sometimes as teenagers we do really stupid things and our hormones are just messed up..this does not excuse what he may have done to the victim but everyone deserves to be treated humanely. Especially, a 14 year who is still a minor and hasn't developed fully. He deserved his life, another chance , a healthy space to work on himself.