SPF: investigation officer in Megan Khung’s death case resigned, supervisor handed financial penalty

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed on 23 October 2025 that the investigation officer (IO) who handled the first report linked to the fatal abuse of four-year-old Megan Khung has resigned.

Her supervisor, the officer-in-charge (OC), was issued a financial penalty.

This revelation came only after local media sought clarification from SPF following a press conference on the release of findings by an independent review panel examining how various agencies handled Megan’s case.

Independent panel finds officers failed to follow process

According to the review, both officers were internally disciplined for failing to follow established procedures when Megan’s grandmother first lodged a police report in January 2020—just one month before the child’s death.

A police spokeswoman said the two officers were investigated for neglect of duty.

However, she declined to specify the nature or amount of the financial penalty imposed on the supervisor, who remains with the SPF. There was also no mention of when the IO resigned.

Background: months of abuse before Megan’s death

Megan Khung suffered prolonged abuse from February 2019 at the hands of her mother, Foo Li Ping, and Foo’s then-partner, Brian Wong Shi Xiang.

The four-year-old died in February 2020 after Wong fatally punched her in the abdomen.

Foo was sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment for abuse and for helping to burn Megan’s remains, while Wong received a 30-year jail term and 17 strokes of the cane for his role in the killing and for separate drug offences.

Initial police report assessed as ‘low safety concern’

The review panel’s findings highlighted that when Megan’s grandmother filed the first report on 17 January 2020, the investigation officer assessed it as a “child discipline” case with low safety risks.

SPF told The Straits Times that the grandmother had not seen Megan or Foo for some time, as Foo had blocked her number.

The IO’s assessment concluded there was “no indication of child abuse” based on the information in the report.

Earlier red flags overlooked

In March 2019, Megan’s preschool and the social service agency Beyond Social Services (BSS) discovered injuries on the child and classified it as excessive discipline by Foo.

BSS developed a temporary care plan placing Megan with her grandmother, but this was breached in September 2019 when the child returned to live with Foo.

The review found that this breach was not recorded in the January 2020 police report.

There were also no subsequent reports of suspected abuse between March 2019 and January 2020.

The IO made attempts to contact Foo via phone and text but received no response. Foo’s and Megan’s whereabouts were unknown at the time.

Missed escalation and reassignment during pandemic

The report stated that after the IO informed her OC of plans to continue searching for Foo, the OC failed to raise Megan’s case during review meetings.

After two weeks of unsuccessful attempts to reach Foo, the IO stopped pursuing the matter and was later reassigned to pandemic-related duties during COVID-19 operations.

SPF later determined that the IO should have escalated the matter to her supervisor when contact with Foo could not be established, enabling the OC to guide the next steps.

Renewed police action after fresh reports

Megan died on 22 February 2020.

Months later, on 20 July 2020, Megan’s biological father, Khung Wei Nan, and her grandmother filed new police reports regarding the child’s disappearance.

By this stage, police considered the red flags more apparent, including concerns for Foo’s wellbeing and the child’s safety.

Foo was hospitalised at the time, though police did not specify the reason or duration of her stay.

The second and third police reports were escalated by a different IO and OC in accordance with procedure, and the case was classified as a missing persons report.

Officers immediately initiated tracing efforts.

Three days later, on 23 July 2020, police arrested Foo and Wong for Megan’s murder.

Their friend, Nouvelle Chua, who had witnessed the abuse, was detained the following day for child abuse and drug consumption.

Government acknowledges failures and apologises

On 23 October 2025, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli issued a public apology for the lapses across government and partner agencies in handling Megan’s case.

He acknowledged that “more could have been done” to protect the child.

Masagos, who became minister in July 2020, succeeding Desmond Lee, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) accepted the review panel’s findings in full and would work with social service partners to implement the recommended reforms.

Statement from former MSF minister Desmond Lee

Desmond Lee, now Minister for Education, also released a statement on Facebook, describing Megan’s death as “deeply saddening” and expressing remorse on behalf of agencies involved.

He said: “As the lead ministry for the national child protection ecosystem, we are sorry for the outcome and acknowledge that more should have been done. The panel’s recommendations will help strengthen our systems further, including improving coordination and communication.”

Lee emphasised the challenges of preventive child protection work, noting that abuse often occurs “behind closed doors, by family members”.

He urged continued support for social workers and frontline officers, calling for collective resolve to “do better so that every child in our care is safe and protected.”