‘You deserve to be put away for a long time’ — Singapore judge tells 34 y/o man who chained, beat, and starved his 19 y/o sister to death in toilet

Content warning: This article describes prolonged abuse, starvation, and physical violence. Reader discretion is advised.

SINGAPORE: A Singapore man who chained, beat, and starved his younger sister inside a toilet has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.

Huang Bocan, 34, received the sentence on Nov 5 for his role in the death of Huang Baoying, who was just 19. His sister endured months of abuse before dying from severe malnutrition and repeated blunt force injuries.

Delivering the sentence, Justice Aidan Xu told Bocan that “You deserve to be put away for a long time. I hope you will always remember what you have done to your sister,” Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported (Nov 5).

A teenager who trusted her brother to protect her

The four people involved first met through Colourful Nutrifit, a company run by Chee Mei Wan, 47, which marketed Herbalife products.

Baoying joined the group when she was around 16 or 17. She wanted to lose weight, improve herself, and earn money. Bocan and Chee later began a romantic relationship. Lim Peng Tiong, 67, also joined the group.

After the company's storefront closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the group began meeting at the siblings’ home. The siblings eventually moved into Lim’s home in July 2020.

What started as a group with shared business interests turned into a system of punishment and abuse.

Bad habit fines turned into beatings and starvation

Chee initially introduced fines for what she considered bad habits, including Lim dragging his feet while walking.

The fine system soon extended to Bocan and Baoying. When Chee and Bocan decided the fines weren't working, they introduced physical punishments. Chee, however, wasn’t subjected to any such punishments, as she was the “coach”.

Baoying, on the other hand, suffered the most. She was forced to perform squats for hours, sometimes lasting up to six hours. The abuse became worse in February 2021, when the trio created a WhatsApp group to track her alleged mistakes.

The 19-year-old’s food intake was restricted, and Bocan controlled her finances. She received only S$20-S$30 per week, supposedly to pay for one meal each day. At times, she was deprived of food for days and allowed only water.

Baoying was also chained inside the toilet, where she had to sleep and eat. The trio beat her with a wooden stick, sometimes delivering up to 240 blows in one session.

By March 2021, Baoying had become visibly weak but was still forced to exercise. On May 4, 2021, the day before her death, she was beaten again after failing to complete her assigned squats.

The abuse continued that night. Her hands were tied above her head, and she was left under running water in the toilet for about 15 minutes.

In the early hours of May 5, Bocan found her unresponsive. Although he suggested taking her to hospital, Chee allegedly objected because she didn't want the authorities involved.

They eventually agreed to seek medical help and discussed giving a false account of what happened. Bocan also deleted photographs, videos and audio recordings that could implicate them. He called 995 at about 6:02 a.m. and attempted CPR when instructed. Paramedics arrived around 6:12 a.m., but Baoying died shortly afterwards.

A life sentence without caning

An autopsy found that Baoying died from severe malnutrition, sepsis and excessive blunt force trauma.

She weighed only 27.6kg, down from 48.8kg before moving into Lim’s home. She had also suffered extensive bruising and a large, infected wound on her right leg.

The prosecution said all three defendants contributed to her death. Lim was sentenced to 14 years and 11 months’ jail in May. Chee's case is still pending before the courts.

Both the prosecution and defence sought life imprisonment without caning for Bocan. Justice Xu agreed that caning wasn't necessary.

The judge said Baoying had looked up to her brother for protection, yet he treated her in a cruel and inhumane way.

Judge condemns trio’s abuse of Baoying

In sentencing, Justice Aidan Xu said the trio had been driven by a desire for power and control, subjecting Baoying to prolonged and inhumane treatment.

The judge described the case as deeply sad, saying he couldn't imagine the suffering Baoying had endured. He added that she couldn't be brought back and those responsible had to face the consequences.

Addressing Bocan directly, Justice Xu said his sister had once looked to him for protection. Instead, he subjected her to torture and treated her as though she had no human worth. The judge said Bocan deserved a lengthy prison sentence and hoped he would never forget what he had done to his sister.

A family member should never become someone's greatest source of fear. Whatever disagreements arise at home, punishment, control, and violence have no place in any form of relationship.