SINGAPORE: A five-year-old Indonesian boy was allegedly struck on the head with a wine bottle by a man in Singapore for no apparent reason.
Speaking to Mothership, the boy’s mother, Winda, recounted the incident, which occurred on Friday (20 June) while the family was sitting at the outdoor area of % Arabica Singapore on Arab Street, near Haji Lane.
They were waiting to perform Friday prayers at Sultan Mosque when the attack happened.
According to Winda, a man carrying a wine bottle suddenly struck her son on the head from behind.
“It all happened in a split second,” she told Mothership.
Her son immediately burst into tears and began vomiting from the blow.
Winda’s husband instinctively pushed the man away to protect their children, while bystanders rushed to help the family by calling the police and an ambulance.
Staff from % Arabica quickly ushered Winda and her children into the café to shield them from the attacker.
The situation became even more alarming when Winda discovered that the man had a knife in his bag.
“He wanted to take out the knife from his bag,” she said.
The moment he tried to retrieve the knife, along with his eventual apprehension by passers-by, was captured in a video later shared by Instagram account @sgfollowsall.
Winda expressed her shock and devastation over the ordeal.
“I never would have imagined that something this scary would happen,” she said.
“A random person who has no reason to hate us can do something so horrible.”
The family, who were visiting Singapore for a holiday, were due to return to Indonesia just two days later on 22 June.
“This incident involves the life of my young child. I strongly believe Singapore is a safe country — that’s why it’s really hard for us to accept what happened,” she said, adding that the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore had since reached out to offer assistance.
According to café staff interviewed by Shin Min Daily News, an ambulance was called for the boy, and the family was brought inside to rest.
The child reportedly sustained injuries to his forehead. The boy’s father also suffered injuries while fending off the attacker, an employee of a nearby souvenir shop told the paper.
In response to media queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at about 1.30pm at 56 Arab Street, but no ambulance assistance was required.
Following the incident, 26-year-old Chinese national Xu Chaoyu was charged in court on Saturday (21 June), Shin Min reported.
He faces a charge of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
The charge sheet stated that Xu was found with a 32cm-long kitchen knife in public on Friday, and later with a 30cm-long vegetable knife along Arab Street.
Xu is also suspected of overstaying in Singapore after his social visit pass expired, in violation of immigration laws.
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