Woman To Be Charged With Defamation

The Police will be charging a 27-year-old woman in court on 6 May 2024 for her involvement in the publication of an online article which propagated a false story of a miscarriage that occurred at KK Women's and Children's Hospital ("KKH").

On 25 March 2022, KKH lodged a police report pertaining to an article titled "The baby is probably dead - Woman shares a harrowing account of her miscarriage at KKH A&E", published on the Wake Up, Singapore's ("WUSG") website (www.wakeup.sg), Facebook page, and Instagram page. The article alleged that KKH's mismanagement of healthcare services resulted in a female patient suffering a miscarriage after a four-hour wait for COVID-19 treatment and abdominal pains at KKH's Accident & Emergency Department on 28 February 2022.

Upon receiving the police report from KKH, the Police consulted the Attorney-General's Chambers and were authorised to investigate the matter.

Investigations found that the 27-year-old woman had purportedly sent messages from her Instagram account to the Instagram account of WUSG, detailing how she had suffered a miscarriage at KKH. Further investigations found that the allegations made by the 27-year-old woman were untrue.

The woman will be charged in court on 6 May 2024 with defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code 1871. She will be the second person charged for the offence of defamation in relation to this case. A 26-year-old man was charged in court on 24 April 2024 with defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence of defamation can be punished with imprisonment for a term of up to two years, or with a fine, or both.