A 36-year-old woman, Nouvelle Chua Ruoshi, has pleaded guilty to three charges linked to the abuse and death of a 4-year-old girl, including allegedly filming the abuse and helping dispose of the child’s body by burning it.
The case involved Megan, who died on February 21, 2020, after enduring months of abuse by her biological mother, Foo Li Ping, 30, and Foo’s boyfriend, Wong Shi Xiang, 39, at an apartment along Guillemard Road.
Chua faced six charges, including conspiracy to dispose of a body, conspiracy to abuse the child and drug consumption. She pleaded guilty to three charges, while the remaining charges will be considered during sentencing.
Filmed the abuse instead of helping
According to the prosecution, Foo and Wong began abusing Megan in early 2019, reportedly over incidents of bedwetting and urinating on the sofa. The abuse allegedly continued for around 13 months.
Chua knew Foo through Wong and later became close friends with her. From July 2019, Chua regularly brought her own daughter to play with Megan, and the two families sometimes spent weekends at the apartment. During court proceedings, the prosecution played several videos recorded by Chua. The footage allegedly showed Foo placing a soiled diaper over Megan’s head, while Wong smeared lipstick on the girl’s face and took her downstairs as a form of punishment.
Another video reportedly showed Megan, whose head had been shaved and whose body was covered in injuries, crying and asking Foo to let her wear clothes. In another clip, Foo allegedly smeared mucus on the child’s face after scolding her for crying.
The prosecution argued that Chua was not merely a passive bystander. It alleged that she made suggestions during the abuse, including encouraging Foo to make Megan eat the mucus, and showed little concern for the child’s suffering.
Girl died after being punched in the stomach
On the night of February 21, 2020, Wong allegedly punched Megan in the stomach, after which the girl died.
Around midnight, Chua reportedly saw Megan clutching her stomach and seeking help after being beaten. However, she did not intervene after Foo and Wong dismissed the child’s distress as attention-seeking. The adults also allegedly consumed drugs together.
Hours later, Chua noticed that Megan was still lying in the same position and alerted the couple. Foo then checked on the child and found black liquid coming from her mouth, but Megan could not be awakened.
The prosecution said Chua knew an ambulance should be called but feared that her own wrongdoing would be exposed. Instead, she allegedly watched as Foo and Wong discussed burning the body. Chua later drove Wong back to the apartment to handle the remains and helped purchase items including incense, joss paper, vinegar and baking soda. On May 8, 2020, the three allegedly transported Megan’s body to a car workshop in Ubi Industrial Park, where it was burned in an attempt to destroy the evidence.
Prosecution seeks 13½ years in prison
The prosecution argued that Chua’s involvement went beyond simply following the couple’s instructions, saying she appeared to take pleasure in the child’s suffering. It sought a prison sentence of 13 years and six months.
Her defence lawyer argued that Chua did not physically assault Megan, questioning who had slapped the child or forced her to wear a soiled diaper. The lawyer maintained that although Chua was present, she did not personally carry out the abuse and had only followed instructions in dealing with the body.
The judge asked the defence to make further submissions on the charges that would be considered during sentencing. The case was adjourned to November 13 for sentencing.
Foo and Wong had previously pleaded guilty. Foo was sentenced to 19 years in prison, while Wong received 30 years in prison and 17 strokes of the cane.
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