Mother of NSF who died: It seems the price I paid has not been enough
March 4, 2016
ricky l10 seconds ago
If my memory serve me correctly, the instructors that have committed such acts have been administered with prison sentences.
In addition, additional safety measures have been introduced.
That is, justice have already been served - though it is not possible to bring back the deceased.
ricky l10 seconds ago
I doubt negligence of such will not go unpunished.
ricky l1 minute ago
Search the web and found this :-
(look like the case is still ongoing)
3. Prosecution
The Chief Military Prosecutor will determine if these personnel should be subject to a General Court Martial to establish their degree of culpability and, if found guilty, mete out the appropriate punishment.
Police investigations are ongoing to determine whether to prosecute the personnel involved in Civil Court
ricky l10 seconds ago
Maybe the parents should wait for the States to complete the investigation and prosecute by the States - rather than taking personal actions.
Two officers involved in NSF death punished in accordance with military law: SAF
The State Coroner had found that Private Lee had died of an unforeseen acute allergic reaction to the smoke grenade fumes and the reaction was not "reasonably foreseeable", which was why no criminal charges were brought against the two SAF officers.
- Posted 07 Mar 2016 13:36
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) on Monday (Mar 7) said that the platoon commander and the chief safety officer of the exercise that resulted in the death of full-time national serviceman Dominique Sarron Lee were punished in accordance with military law in 2013.
Commander of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Brigadier General Chan Wing Kai said in a Facebook post that while the two officers escaped criminal charges, they were disciplined in 2013.
He noted that the Coroner's Inquiry (CI) found that PTE Lee had “died from acute allergic reaction to zinc chloride due to inhalation of zinc chloride fumes”. The coroner also found that this acute allergic reaction was “unlikely to have been predicted”.
Given that PTE Lee's acute allergic reaction to the smoke grenades thrown by the platoon commander was not reasonably foreseeable, no criminal charges were brought against both officers, he added.
"While the CI and COI (Committee of Inquiry) did not find that the two officers were directly responsible for PTE Lee's death, the two officers were summarily tried in 2013 for negligent performance of lawful order or duty, found guilty, and punished according to military law," BG Chan said.
The COI, convened by the Armed Forces Council, found that the number of smoke grenades discharged and the distance between the smoke grenades were not in accordance with the limits and minimum distance specified in the Training Safety Regulations, he said.
Smoke grenades which produce zinc chloride fumes have been in use by many militaries, including the SAF, since the 1970s. PTE Lee’s death directly attributable to zinc chloride inhalation is the first on the SAF’s records in over 30 years of use.
He reiterated that the SAF offers its deepest condolences to the family of the late PTE Lee. "We are deeply sorry for the untimely and tragic loss, and the anguish and distress brought to his family."
LEGAL RECOURSE AVAILABLE
The TRADOC Commander also sought to debunk the perception that SAF servicemen injured or killed cannot seek legal recourse under military rules. "This is incorrect," he said.
For instance, in 2004 four servicemen were charged in court for causing the death of another serviceman during combat survival training. Another example was the senior instructor who was charged and convicted of instigating a full-time NSman to commit a rash act and trying to pervert the course of justice in the incident where an overturned jeep resulted in the death of a full-time NSman.
"In both cases, the servicemen responsible were found guilty, and sentenced to imprisonment," he wrote.
ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT OFFERED TO FAMILY
BG Chan also said before the most recent lawsuit, the family of the late PTE Lee had taken out a pre-action discovery application, which they subsequently withdrew. The court had awarded costs to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), but the ministry waived the legal costs, he said.
The mother of PTE Lee had written on Facebook on Mar 3 that the Judicial Commissioner in charge of dismissing the suit against SAF and the two officers had ordered her to foot their legal costs.
The TRADOC Commander added that MINDEF and SAF have been extending help to the family throughout this period, and remain committed to assisting and providing support to the family.
"Since the incident, welfare grants have been disbursed, and an offer of compensation has been made to the family, based on the full extent allowed by the compensation legislation," he wrote.
"To respect privacy and maintain confidentiality, compensation amounts are not disclosed, but are generally two to four times that of amounts provided under the Work Injury Compensation Act for incidents arising from training and operations."
He reiterated that SAF values the life of every soldier and recognises that we are responsible for the sons of Singapore placed under its charge. "We will uphold safety standards while ensuring that we build a strong National Service force able to defend Singapore."
- CNA/kk
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