School staff ‘cannot be with young suspects during police interviews’

SINGAPORE — To make sure police questioning is done in a neutral setting, school staff — such as school counsellors or teachers — cannot accompany a young person under investigation, Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng said in Parliament yesterday.

He was responding to a question from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Daniel Goh on the recent announcement of an Appropriate Adult Scheme for Young Suspects — where an independent volunteer trained to spot signs of distress will accompany a child being questioned by the police to provide emotional support and facilitate communication.

Since a school staff member would accompany a young suspect being picked up by the police from school, would it be better for this familiar face to stay on during the interview instead of having a stranger who might “act as a new layer that complicates things”, asked Associate Professor Goh.

Mr Ng replied: “The school counsellor, while he or she may be in a better place to support the well-being of the young person, in those circumstances, he or she may not be neutral.”

But the school will provide all relevant information on the young suspect’s personal circumstances to the police, the minister added.

Mr Ng also told the House that teachers and school counsellors are trained to monitor signs of distress in young persons. ALFRED CHUA