Residents of Lengkok Bahru earlier raised concern after reports surfaced of a man allegedly attempting to harm community cats with a penknife.
A police report was lodged by a witness after the alleged incident on 21 August.
According to The New Paper, NParks’ Group Director of Enforcement and Investigation, Jessica Kwok, said officers had spoken to witnesses, visited the incident site, and confirmed there were no reports of cats being harmed or injured in the area.
Kwok added that officers interviewed a 22-year-old youth who attends a special needs training centre and had also engaged with his family regarding his behaviour.
NParks urged the public not to speculate, but to allow investigations to run their course, as the family seeks professional assistance to better counsel and monitor the youth.
On 23 August, a Facebook account under the username Jol Sje, self-identified as the youth’s older sister, posted a lengthy statement in the group Sayang Our Singapore’s Community Cats.
In the post, she acknowledged her brother’s behaviour and explained the family’s challenges in caring for him.
“We fully acknowledge and condemn my brother’s wrongdoings. We agree that having special needs does not give one the right to harm animals,” she wrote.
She said her brother had developed a fixation on cats in recent months, and the family’s attempts to redirect his behaviour had proven insufficient.
She explained that the youth enjoys independence and often travels across Singapore alone, making it difficult for the family to monitor him constantly.
“Although he has special needs, he is still a human who craves freedom and this is something that we do not want to take away from him,” she said.
The sister added that the family was devastated to see the youth’s photos circulated widely online, expressing fear for his and their safety after doxxing attempts were made.
She appealed for netizens to refrain from sharing images of him and said the family was now working with a social worker to secure the intervention he needs.
“I know it may not appear to be so but we are trying our best to ensure that my brother is a good law-abiding citizen,” she wrote.
She acknowledged that the situation required urgent intervention, noting that his profile did not fit typical categories of mental illness, making it challenging to find suitable services.
Netizens balance compassion with concern for cat safety
Her post drew varied responses from group members.
Some commenters praised her courage in speaking up and expressed sympathy for the family’s situation.
Others noted the distress of the animal-loving community and called for stricter steps, such as removing sharp objects from the youth’s possession for safety.
Several members also offered constructive suggestions.
One parent of a special needs son suggested involving her brother in guided care for community cats, sharing that structured engagement had helped her own child.
Another recommended programmes offered by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS), which could provide daily structure and training opportunities.
Others stressed the importance of balancing compassion with accountability.
While acknowledging the family’s difficulties, they emphasised that community cats remain vulnerable and incidents of this nature are deeply traumatic to both the animals and those who care for them.
The post eventually had comments disabled by Jol due to the volume, though she said she welcomed private suggestions.
She expressed gratitude to those who reminded others that her brother’s actions were linked to his special needs and to those who condemned the sharing of his personal photos.
The post Sister of youth accused of harming community cats issues statement as NParks urges public not to speculate appeared first on The Online Citizen.
