Singapore teen blogger walks free

A 16-year-old boy behind online attacks on Singapore’s founder and former premier Lee Kuan Yew was on Monday sentenced to four weeks in jail but walked free in view of the over 50 days he served since being accused of offending Christians and posting an obscene image online.

Amos Yee Pang <g data-gr-id="43">Sang,</g> was handed down a three-week jail term for making offensive remarks against Christianity in an expletive-laden YouTube video comparing Lee to Jesus, which was posted after the city-state leader’s death in March.

He was also sentenced to one-week imprisonment for posting an obscene drawing of Lee and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

District Court judge Jasvender Kaur given the sentence backdated to June 2, which paves <g data-gr-id="45">way</g> for his release as Yee was already in <g data-gr-id="44">remand</g> at that <g data-gr-id="46">time,</g> and said she took into account his age.

The judge said the offences “were not serious in nature but not trivial either”, local media reported. A third charge for the blogger’s statements on Lee in a YouTube video was withdrawn.

Yee intends to appeal against the convictions and the sentence, said his lawyer Alfred Dodwell. Yee, who repeatedly breached bail conditions and refused to speak to a probation officer since his arrest in March, was found guilty on May 12.

The prosecution had asked for one day’s jail for Yee due to a “seismic shift” in his attitude, “from being unremorseful to remorseful”, a point which Yee’s lawyers agreed.

Yee has been remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for the past two weeks to assess his suitability for a mandatory treatment <g data-gr-id="40">order,</g> after a doctor said Yee may have <g data-gr-id="39">autism-spectrum</g> disorder. However, a doctor at IMH said Yee had no mental disorder.

The doctor’s report also said Yee admitted to his guilt and promised not to reoffend, as he realised his actions were against the law and could disrupt social harmony. He also admitted that he had used his intelligence in the wrong ways.

Dodwell confirmed reports that Yee was in <g data-gr-id="33">hospital</g>.

The court was packed for the sentencing this afternoon and Some of Yee’s supporters clapped when he appeared in court. He was escorted by police officers and looked solemn, keeping his head bowed for most of the proceedings.

All in, Yee was remanded for 50 days, including time spent in Changi Prison and two weeks at IMH for assessment.

Under Singapore’s law, anyone found guilty of making remarks with the deliberate intention of wounding the feelings of a religious group can be jailed for up to three years, or fined or both.