Singapore probes assault on man who patted child's head

Singapore police are investigating an assault on a 73-year-old man after he patted a young girl on the head at a food court in a shopping centre.

Police said a video of the incident, which took place on Saturday, circulated widely over the weekend. They identified a 40-year-old man involved in the case in a statement on Sunday night, and urged the public not to speculate while investigations are carried out.

Incident Captured On CCTV

The footage shows the elderly man walking past the child’s table and patting her head. A woman seated at the table, believed to be the girl’s mother, immediately intervened.

The elderly man continued a short distance before a second man, believed to be the girl’s father, returned to the table and confronted him. After what appeared to be a heated exchange, the younger man was seen grabbing the elderly man’s arm and throwing him to the ground.

The clip was shared after it was posted on the social media pages of Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle, a stall at the food court.

Police Urge No Speculation

In their statement, police said they had identified the 40-year-old man and were investigating the incident. They also asked members of the public “not to speculate on the incident or its circumstances” and to allow investigators to establish the facts.

The assault drew criticism online, with many commenters condemning the physical reaction. Some responses also debated whether the elderly man should have touched the child without the parents’ consent, but the majority centred on the altercation as an overreaction to the head pat.

Son Says Father Suffered Back Pain

A post on the stall’s social media pages was made by someone who identified himself as the elderly man’s son. He asked for help identifying the alleged assailant.

The post said the elderly man, who is in his 70s, has previous leg and hip injuries, and that he did not want to pursue the matter further. It added that after the incident, the younger man later sat with the family, apologised, and offered him a drink.

The son said, however, that the elderly man is now suffering severe back pain following the fall. He wrote that an apology and a drink could not remove the physical injuries.

The elderly man told Channel News Asia that he patted the girl because she “was very adorable”. He said he believes older people often pat young children’s heads. He added that he began feeling pain hours after the incident and was taking Panadol.

In a separate post, the son thanked police for responding quickly and said they “sincerely hope that justice will be served” for his father.

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17 August 2026