Graffiti vandal faces a Singapore caning

[Aictos]

Found this little gem in a free paper on the train home,

A Swiss man faces being caned in Singapore today for breaking into rail depot and spray-painting graffiti on a underground train.

Oliver Fricker, 32, was said to have committed the offences with a 29-year-old British man, believed to have fled to Hong Kong.

Vandalism in Singapore carries a £970 fine and three to eight stokes of the cane.

 

[GearJammer]

Shame they don't do it over here!

 

[flymo]

He got five months in the nick, a S$2,000 fine and three strokes of the cane. They don't do things by halves down there. These punishments have never really changed since British Colonial times in Singapore.

News reports from Razor TV in Singapore.

Part 1

Part 2

 

[Snapper]

Ages 29 and 32? Not exactly the stereotype of delinquent teenagers are they?

 

[4SRKT]

Odd to think that less than 25 years ago kids were being caned routinely every day in British schools (or given the even more brutal tawse in Scotland). How times have changed that 3 strokes of the cane half way across the world is now news!

 

[NSEFAN]

Odd to think that less than 25 years ago kids were being caned routinely every day in British schools (or given the even more brutal tawse in Scotland). How times have changed that 3 strokes of the cane half way across the world is now news!

Indeed it has changed so much. My parents tell me that caning was only a deterent to the weaker minded students. Those bent on causing trouble would go ahead anyway, no matter how much they were caned. I guess a punishment is only worth it if it works.

 

[Greenback]

Surely that emans that some people were deterred from causing trouble, therefore it worked?

 

[gordonthemoron]

Odd to think that less than 25 years ago kids were being caned routinely every day in British schools (or given the even more brutal tawse in Scotland). How times have changed that 3 strokes of the cane half way across the world is now news!

I started school in 1965 & finished in 1978, no school I attended (4) used the cane or any form of corporal punishment

 

[flymo]

The first school I attended (1969) had the cane but never used it. The fact it was there was a huge deterrent. It was to me anyway.

Unfortunately, I think the perpetrators of this crime forgot they were not in Britain and British rules no longer apply. No ASBO's in Singapore.

 

[Greenback]

The first school I attended (1969) had the cane but never used it. The fact it was there was a huge deterrent. It was to me anyway.

Unfortunately, I think the perpetrators of this crime forgot they were not in Britain and British rules no longer apply.

Iwas ins econdary school from 1977 to 1982. The cane was used, and so were other physical punishments like a clip round the ear and a slippering! There was very little trouble and hardly any bullying.

Corporal punsihemnt was definitely a deterrnet to me personally, and also to many of my peers, it would seem, as the number of such punishments were relatively low for the amount of pupils atending the school.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I hold the dubious distinction of being the oldest person in my school ever to have been slippered - in the 5th form(!). Something to do with being very late for a sports lesson, combined with some lip, if I recall rightly.

 

[bnm]

Caned and black dapped (gym shoe) at junior school in the early 80's. Taught me two very important lessons:

Don't get caught.
Lie convincingly.

 

[tripleseis]

Singapore - Disneyland with the Death Penalty or a FINE city.

It looks like a nice place but there are lots of laws there which I feel are quite draconian (especially in regards to sexualty and gender).

 

[Matt Taylor]

Exactly, Singapore is kind of how Disneyland would be if it were run by the Nazis. Having said that I have been there too many times to remember and I love it.

 

[gingerheid]

I presume they have less damage and disruption caused by vandals there, so it's a good thing.

 

[jon0844]

It's all about rights and responsibilities. Looking at the state of our country, perhaps we've gone too far the other way to allow people the right to do almost anything.

Isn't chewing gum illegal in Singapore? After both myself and my wife have in the last couple of months got gum stuck in our shoes, I'd be all for locking people up for a few years for spitting out their gum on the street!! (Not that I am suggesting people are jailed for it in Singapore!)