WYQ v Child Protector: Appeal Against Order to Send Daughters to Place of Safety Under Children and Young Persons Act

WYQ appealed to the General Division of the High Court (Family Division) against the decision of the judge below to send her two daughters to a place of safety for 12 months under s 54(1)(b)(i)(A) of the Children and Youth Protection Act, because they needed care and protection under s 5(1) CYPA. The High Court, presided over by Choo Han Teck J, dismissed the appeal, finding no merit and emphasizing the daughters' well-being in their current placements. The court highlighted the mother's inability to properly care for or supervise her daughters and the importance of her attending parenting counselling sessions.

1. Case Overview

1.1 Court

General Division of the High Court (Family Division)

1.2 Outcome

Appeal Dismissed

1.3 Case Type

Family

1.4 Judgment Type

Grounds of Decision

1.5 Jurisdiction

Singapore

1.6 Description

Appeal by mother against decision to send daughters to a place of safety under CYPA due to exposure to pornography, self-harm, and emotional abuse. Appeal dismissed.

1.7 Decision Date

2 September 2024

2. Parties and Outcomes

Party Name	Role	Type	Outcome	Outcome Type	Counsels
WYQ	Appellant	Individual	Appeal Dismissed	Lost
Child Protector	Respondent	Other	Appeal Dismissed	Won	Genevieve Lee of Attorney-General’s Chambers, Civil Division Au Wei Hoe of Attorney-General’s Chambers, Civil Division

3. Judges

Judge Name	Title	Delivered Judgment
Choo Han Teck	Judge of the High Court	Yes

4. Counsels

Counsel Name	Organization
Genevieve Lee	Attorney-General’s Chambers, Civil Division
Au Wei Hoe	Attorney-General’s Chambers, Civil Division

4. Facts

The mother's two daughters were ordered to be sent to a place of safety for 12 months.
The daughters were exposed to pornography while in the mother’s care.
The daughters had cut themselves and injured each other in physical altercations.
The mother encouraged the elder daughter to bring a penknife to school after she reported being bullied.
The mother emotionally abused the younger daughter by using degrading language and throwing salt at her.
The younger daughter threatened to commit suicide if she were sent back home.

5. Formal Citations

WYQ v Child Protector, Youth Court Appeal No 1 of 2024/01, [2024] SGHCF 31

6. Timeline

Date	Event
2024-08-28	Hearing date
2024-09-03	Judgment date
2023-10-23	CPS social report prepared

7. Legal Issues

Need for Care and Protection of Children
- Outcome: The court found that the children were in need of care and protection under s 5(1) CYPA.
- Category: Substantive
- Sub-Issues:
  - Exposure to pornography
  - Risk of self-harm
  - Emotional abuse
Admissibility of Hearsay Evidence
- Outcome: The court held that hearsay evidence was admissible under s 53(2) CYPA.
- Category: Procedural

8. Remedies Sought

Appeal against the decision to send daughters to a place of safety

9. Cause of Actions

No cause of actions

10. Practice Areas

Family Law
Child Protection Law

11. Industries

No industries specified

12. Cited Cases

Case Name	Court	Affirmed	Citation	Jurisdiction	Significance
No cited cases

13. Applicable Rules

Rule Name
No applicable rules

14. Applicable Statutes

Statute Name	Jurisdiction
Children and Youth Protection Act	Singapore
s 54(1)(b)(i)(A) of the Children and Youth Protection Act	Singapore
s 5(1) CYPA	Singapore
s 53(2) CYPA	Singapore
s 11(1) CYPA	Singapore

15. Key Terms and Keywords

15.1 Key Terms

Care and protection order
Place of safety
Moral danger
Emotional abuse
Parenting counselling

15.2 Keywords

Child protection
Family court
Care order
Parenting
Singapore law

17. Areas of Law

Area Name	Relevance Score
Family Law	95
Children and Young Persons Act	90
Child Abuse and Neglect	85
Child Custody	70
Parenting	65
Child Support	60
Domestic Violence	50

16. Subjects

Family Law
Child Protection