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Mandatory psychiatric treatment for passenger who forced open MRT train doors several times

2024-01-17 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE – A passenger who prised open the doors of moving and stationary MRT trains on various lines to “test them” was on Jan 17 ordered to undergo mandatory psychiatric treatment.

Vanessa Wang Zi Qi, who has bipolar disorder, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of being a public nuisance and one count of voluntarily causing hurt.

Wang, 47, was sentenced to a mandatory treatment order for 12 months in lieu of time behind bars.

Another charge of being a public nuisance was taken into consideration during sentencing.

Deputy Principal District Judge Kessler Soh told Wang: “You will need to make sure you comply with the psychiatrist and take the medicine as prescribed. Please make sure that such offences do not happen again.”

A report from the Institute of Mental Health stated that around the time of the offences, Wang was experiencing a hypomanic relapse of bipolar disorder.

This is characterised by elevated and irritable moods, increased energy, reduced need for sleep, and excessive involvement in activities that had potential for painful consequences.

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The prosecution had previously told the court that this would have impaired Wang’s judgment and impulse control, contributing to Wang’s offences.

However, Wang was not of unsound mind at the time of the offences, and was fit to plead in court.

Wang, whom court documents identified as male, was diagnosed in 2019 with bipolar disorder and gender dysphoria, and missed follow-up treatments for two years. Those with gender dysphoria have a sense of unease due to a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity.

According to court documents, on Nov 29, 2023, at about 12.50pm, Wang pulled at the doors of an MRT train travelling between Khatib and Yio Chu Kang stations.

Wang wanted to test if the doors could be opened when the train was moving, and forced a gap between them.

When fellow commuters saw this, they were alarmed and called for Wang to stop. One of them asked Wang to wait for the next stop.

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At Yio Chu Kang MRT station, when Wang continued to pull on the MRT doors and prevent them from closing, another commuter pressed the emergency button in the train.

Mr Foo Jee Yong, 65, an SMRT senior station manager, arrived with several colleagues.

Mr Foo asked Wang to leave the train with him and his colleagues, but Wang refused and shouted at them.

Wang called the police and told them about being made by SMRT staff to alight, and requested to meet the police at Bishan station two stops away, rather than at Yio Chu Kang station.