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SINGAPORE: A 38-year-old woman involved in a car accident that killed a six-year-old girl in Chinatown was charged at the State Courts on Wednesday (Apr 8).<\/p>\n
The woman was given two charges of careless driving causing death and grievous hurt.<\/p>\n
The judge also placed a gag order to protect the identity of her six-year-old son, a potential witness in the case. This gag order extends to the woman as his parent, and she cannot be named.<\/p>\n
Six-year-old Sheyna Lashira Smaradiani died after being hit by a car in an open-air car park near the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown on Feb 6.<\/p>\n
Her mother, Ms Raisha Anindra Pascasiswi, was also injured and hospitalised. CNA understands that she has since been discharged and is back in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The accused did not indicate how she would plead. A pre-trial conference for her case will take place on May 13.<\/p>\n
The application for a gag order was made by the woman’s defence lawyer Mr Navin Thevar. The prosecution did not object to the order.<\/p>\n
“It has been the practice of our courts to protect the identities of children who are witnesses to road traffic accidents by also preventing the publication of their adult parents who were involved in the accidents as accused persons,” said Mr Thevar.<\/p>\n
He said the gag order was necessary to shield the son from “the glare of unwanted public scrutiny and embarrassment”, and further trauma arising from the accident he witnessed.<\/p>\n
“The dangers and risks that I just outlined are particularly acute in the circumstances of the present case because there have been many vitriolic posts made against both my client and against the boy, which are not only untrue, but are of a xenophobic nature,” he said.<\/p>\n
CNA previously reported that Sheyna suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead in hospital shortly after the accident. Her remains were taken back to Jakarta and she was buried on Feb 8.<\/p>\n
The punishment for causing death by driving without due care and attention is a jail term of up to three years, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both penalties.<\/p>\n
The punishment for causing grievous hurt by driving without due care and attention is a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both penalties.<\/p>\n
The offender can also be banned from driving for a period of time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n