Mother of 2 daughters exposed to porn loses appeal against their removal

A mother, whose two daughters were exposed to pornography under her care, lost an appeal against a court order that requires them to be sent to a place of safety for 12 months.

- Samuel Devaraj

Finding that the two girls, now aged 14 and 11, needed care and protection, a district judge made the order in the Youth Court under the Children and Young Persons Act, allowing for a review after six months.

While the judge found that both girls had faced "moral danger" due to their exposure to pornography while in their mother's care, he rejected the argument by child protection services that the elder daughter had been ill-treated or was at risk of ill-treatment.

In a judgment dated Sept 3 which considered the mother's appeal, High Court Judge Choo Han Teck said that the district judge appeared to have considered the evidence comprehensively, and the attitude and behaviour of the woman had convinced him utterly that there was no merit in her appeal.

"It was clear to me that the daughters would be better off at their respective places of safety," he said.

The father of the two girls, who is divorced from the woman, did not object to the initial court order.

According to the district court judgment, the younger daughter was five when she was exposed to pornography by her sister.