SINGAPORE – A 13-year-old boy was found dead at a Singaporean high school today, while a fellow student was arrested and an axe seized, said police.
It is a rare incident in the city state, which is known for its zero-tolerance approach to wrongdoing and has one of the world’s lowest crime rates.
Police were called to the prestigious state high school in the west of the island, where they found the victim with many wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 16-year-old was arrested for suspected involvement, said police in a statement.
The teenagers did not know each other, according to preliminary investigations.
The suspect will be charged in court with murder tomorrow, and police said they will ask him to undergo a psychiatric assessment.
Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said he was “shocked to receive news of the tragic incident”.
“Our thoughts are with the families of the students concerned.”
Singapore has tough laws for even minor offences such as vandalism, which can be punished by caning.
It has a homicide rate of just 0.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to United Nations data – among the world’s lowest. – AFP, July 19, 2021
