RICHARD MONKS SHOCKS SINGAPORE WITH MOLESTATION OF 3-YEAR-OLD GIRL AT LOCAL EDUCATION CENTRE

In March 2021, a disturbing case involving a British expatriate teacher, Richard Monks, unfolded in Singapore, capturing widespread attention due to the severity of the allegations and the subsequent legal proceedings. Monks, aged 29 at the time, was employed at a language and literacy centre where he was responsible for teaching young children, including a three-year-old girl who became the victim of his heinous actions.

According to court reports and police investigations, Monks was caught on CCTV cameras lifting the victim’s dress and inappropriately touching her with his left hand for a duration of approximately 15 minutes. The footage, taken on October 20, 2018, also revealed that Monks used his right hand to point a camera up the girl’s skirt, an act that further compounded the severity of his misconduct. It was established that Monks used his personal mobile phone to record these acts, which were committed in a classroom setting where six children, aged between four and five, were present. The victim was the youngest among them.

During the incident, Monks gathered the children to watch a video, positioning himself behind them, aware of the CCTV camera installed in the corner of the classroom. The children’s upper bodies obstructed the camera’s view of his hands, allowing him to carry out his inappropriate actions without immediate detection. The footage clearly showed Monks placing himself behind the victim as he played a video on his phone, while his hands engaged in molestation. The Deputy Public Prosecutor, Tan Hsiao Tien, noted that the victim appeared visibly uncomfortable, fidgeting and turning back to look at the teacher multiple times, indicating her distress.

Monks was arrested in 2018 after returning from a trip to Thailand. Initially, he denied any wrongdoing when questioned by police. The case took a significant turn in February 2021, when Monks pleaded guilty to a charge of using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a minor. The court was informed that he worked at an unnamed language centre, where children ranged in age from two-and-a-half to 12 years old. The victim, at the time of the incident, was nearly four years old, attending lessons every Saturday and calling him “Teacher Richard.”

On the day of the offence, October 20, 2018, the classroom was set up with a central table, and Monks gathered the children to watch a video. He positioned himself behind the children, opposite a CCTV camera, which he knew was in the room. His strategy was to hide his hands from the camera’s view by placing himself behind the children’s upper bodies. During the video session, Monks repeatedly slid his hand under the victim’s pink dress, molesting her by touching her bottom and pointing a camera up her skirt. The victim, feeling uncomfortable, fidgeted and looked back at him several times, but he continued his misconduct despite her reactions.

The incident remained undetected until October 27, 2018, when the girl’s parents noticed her reluctance to attend her lessons. Upon questioning, she disclosed that “Teacher Richard” had touched her, specifically pointing to her buttocks, during a previous lesson. Her mother promptly reported the matter to the police and ceased her daughter’s attendance at the centre. Investigations revealed that Monks had repeatedly pointed his phone’s camera at the victim’s buttocks during the incident. On the day the police report was filed, Monks had already left Singapore for Thailand. He returned to Singapore on October 31, 2018, and was arrested the following day. Monks claimed to have lost his mobile phone in Thailand, making it impossible to determine the extent of any photos or videos he may have taken.

As the case proceeds, Monks is scheduled to appear in court for mitigation and sentencing. Under Singapore law, for the offence of using criminal force to outrage a minor’s modesty, he faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a fine, caning, or a combination of these punishments. The case has sparked outrage and concern over the safety of children in educational settings, prompting calls for stricter oversight and safeguarding measures to prevent such incidents in the future.