Singapore police investigate assault on elderly man after he patted child’s head

A 73-year-old noodle stall owner was thrown to the ground after approaching a young girl at a food court — sparking a furious public reaction and huge support for the elderly man

Singapore police are investigating the alleged assault of a 73-year-old man who was shoved to the ground after patting a young girl's head at a shopping-centre food court.

The incident was caught on security camera and quickly went viral, producing a fierce debate over whether the elderly man's gesture was inappropriate — and whether the response was completely out of proportion.

Elderly man thrown to the ground

The footage appears to show the elderly man walking past the girl's table and briefly patting her on the head.

A woman believed to be the child's mother immediately intervened.

A man believed to be the girl's father then returned to the table and confronted the elderly man.

After what appeared to be a heated exchange, the younger man grabbed the 73-year-old and threw him to the ground.

Singapore police said they have identified a 40-year-old man in connection with the incident and are investigating.

Police have urged the public not to speculate about what happened and said investigators would establish the facts.

“A drink and an apology” weren't enough

The elderly man has since been identified as Yeo Song Khoon, owner of the small family-run Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle stall.

His family said Yeo initially did not want to pursue the matter.

According to a statement from his son, the younger man subsequently sat down with Yeo, apologised and offered him a drink.

But the family says the apology did little to address the consequences of the fall.

Yeo already had previous leg and hip injuries and subsequently developed severe back pain.

“ A drink and an apology cannot simply take away the physical pain or injuries he is experiencing,” his son said.

Yeo later sought medical attention at hospital.

“Old people like to pat young children's heads”

Yeo told Singapore's Channel NewsAsia that he had patted the girl's head because he thought she was “very adorable”.

“Old people like to pat young children's heads,” he said.

He also said that the pain did not become apparent until several hours after the incident.

The family later appealed online for help identifying the man involved.

Singapore rallies behind the noodle stall owner

The incident has produced an unexpected consequence.

Customers have flooded Yeo's noodle stall with support.

When the BBC visited, huge queues had formed, with customers reportedly waiting more than an hour for a bowl of noodles.

People asked Yeo whether he was all right, while others took photographs with him.

The elderly stall owner, however, appeared overwhelmed by the sudden attention.

“Next time, perhaps? I feel very dizzy now,” he told reporters.

The family has since announced that the stall will close temporarily for two days.

A debate over boundaries

The incident has nevertheless divided opinion.

Some people have argued that adults should not touch another person's child without permission, even if the gesture is intended affectionately.

But much of the public reaction has focused on the apparent disparity between the original gesture and the physical response.

Whatever the circumstances surrounding the confrontation, the footage of a 73-year-old man being thrown to the ground has clearly struck a nerve.

And now police are investigating exactly what happened before, during and after the confrontation.

Police urge public to wait for the facts

Singapore police have specifically asked people not to speculate about the circumstances while the investigation continues.

That is particularly important given how rapidly the video spread online and the enormous public reaction that followed.

Yeo's family says it wants justice for their father, while Yeo himself appears reluctant to become the centre of a media storm.

For now, the viral video has turned a brief confrontation at a Singapore food court into a much larger debate about children, personal boundaries, respect for the elderly — and when an angry reaction goes

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Kudos to the old guy for letting it go, I wouldn't be that easy. The Aussie acted like a <deleted>