'Her forehead was swollen'

SINGAPORE-He had just completed a first-aid course on Tuesday and the newly-learned skills were soon put to use.

While on a bus, Mr Albin Low rushed to help a woman who was brutally bashed by her boyfriend in front of horrified passengers.

"Her forehead was swollen and there was an open wound below her eye," recounted Mr Low. "She was bleeding."

He stayed with her until an ambulance arrived and paramedics took over.

Recalling the incident, Mr Low, 21, said he spotted a couple rushing after the crowded SBS Transit service 161 bus which he was on.

After the woman boarded the bus at Sengkang East Way Block 235, the man ran up and grabbed her forcefully.

Even when she fell to the floor, he rained blows on her and kicked her in a vicious attack which shocked Mr Low.

"He punched her forehead more than five times. The sound was so loud it caught everyone's attention," Mr Low said.

The attack, which lasted about 20 minutes, happened at about 7pm as Mr Low was heading towards the Hougang Central bus interchange.

He was about to alight from the bus when the couple, who appeared to be in their 30s, boarded.

Mr Low said that although the woman broke free from the man's grip and tried to run towards the middle of the bus, the man grabbed her and continued his attack, even though she asked him to stop.

Several passengers shouted that they would call the police and on hearing it, the attacker left the stationary bus and ran away.

CALLED POLICE

The bus driver then closed the bus doors and called the police.

Mr Low, a second-year Republic Polytechnic student who has just completed a first-aid course in school, said he asked the bus driver for the first-aid box and tended to the woman's injuries.

The victim later told a passenger that the attacker was her ex-boyfriend.

A Singapore Civil Defence Force spokesman said the woman was taken to Khoo Teck Puat hospital.

The police are investigating.

Mr Low said he was glad that he was able to help the woman, but felt upset that she was attacked.

"I felt very angry because this is not how a guy should treat a girl," he said.

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