Boon Lay community, counsellors ready to support River Valley High School: Desmond Lee
Flowers are seen placed outside the back gate of River Valley High School on Jul 19, 2021. (Photo: Ang Hwee Min)
SINGAPORE: The Boon Lay community has reached out to River Valley High School to offer any assistance that it may require, Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC Desmond Lee said on Monday (Jul 19).
The local family service centre has also placed its counsellors and those of other nearby centres on standby to support those who have been emotionally or psychologically affected, he added in a Facebook post.
Mr Lee’s comments come after a Secondary 4 boy was arrested over the death of a fellow student at River Valley High School, which is located in Boon Lay.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by what has happened at River Valley High School this morning. My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family, and also with the students, teachers, parents and alumni who must be deeply affected by this tragedy and struggling to make sense of it,” he added.
“We have also activated our community volunteers to assist the school in any way it needs, and will make all our facilities available for the school’s use, if necessary.”
READ:Â River Valley High death: Axe seized by police; suspect and victim 'not known to each other'
Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-jin earlier on Monday appealed to members of the public to stay calm and not add to the anguish of the affected families.
“Please don’t spread images and graphics and rumours. It’d only hurt them further,” he said on Facebook.
AXE SEIZED AS CASE EXHIBIT
Police were called to River Valley High School at about 11.40am on Monday. When they arrived at the scene, a 13-year-old student was found lying motionless with multiple wounds in a toilet. The Seconday 1 student was pronounced dead at the scene.
The police said preliminary investigations showed that the two students did not know each other. An axe was also seized.
The Secondary 4Â student will be charged in court on Tuesday for murder, with a view to seeking an order from the court to remand him for psychiatric assessment.
