Parents of 15-year-old British Student Killed During School Trip File Lawsuit Against School

Jenna Chan, a Grade 9 student at St. Joseph's Institution International (SJII) in Singapore, died in November 2024 during a mandatory week-long expedition assisting the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP), a UK-registered charity. Participation in the marine trip was a requirement for promotion to the next academic year.

According to a Statement of Claim filed in the General Division of the High Court of Singapore, the incident occurred in the South Ari Marine Protected Area. The morning of the tragedy, all three MWSRP guides allegedly left the vessel unattended to observe a dolphin, leaving the students without direct supervision.

While Jenna and another student were in the water, the boat’s engines were engaged. Jenna was pulled beneath the vessel and struck by its rotating propeller. Her teachers and classmates hauled her back onto the boat, where she briefly regained consciousness and whispered her final words: "Help me." She was pronounced dead less than an hour later at the Dhigurah Health Centre.

The lawsuit outlines a series of catastrophic safety oversights:

• Lack of Emergency Protocols: The vessel lacked emergency contact information, standard trauma response procedures, and basic first aid equipment, including emergency oxygen, which had to be borrowed from a nearby diving boat;

• Absence of Safety Guards: The boat was not fitted with a propeller guard despite known risks in marine tourism;

• Delayed Emergency Response: Guides and crew failed to contact the Maldives Coast Guard or sea ambulance services to expedite transfer to a hospital; and

• Inadequate Supervision: Guides were reportedly far from the boat when the engine was engaged and were unable to render immediate assistance.

Jenna’s parents, Dr. Jennifer Liauw and Alan Chan, filed the lawsuit on July 20, 2026—the day Jenna would have turned 17. The claim follows 20 months of unsuccessful attempts to seek answers through administrative channels.

"We did not want to be here," said Jennifer Liauw. "For over a year and a half, we asked the school to work with us to find out what happened so this can never happen to another child. Every door was closed. This claim is about accountability, and about making sure Jenna is the last."

The family alleges that SJII failed to properly vet the Maldives as a destination despite prior marine tourism fatalities in the area, failed to assess local tidal conditions, and incorrectly assured parents that full emergency contingency plans were in place.

SJII has denied liability, maintaining that it engaged MWSRP as an independent contractor and is not responsible for the third party's acts or omissions.

In a statement, SJII Chief Executive Officer Dr. Michael Johnston expressed sympathy for the family but stated the school would defend against the claim. The school asserts that the incident was caused by the boat captain unexpectedly putting the vessel into reverse after Jenna entered the water, and denied withholding investigative details from the family.

Meanwhile, the UK Charity Commission confirmed that MWSRP intends to close, though the regulator remains engaged with the charity's trustees regarding an ongoing compliance investigation into serious governance concerns.

The parents of a 15-year-old British student killed during a school field trip to the Maldives have filed a negligence lawsuit against her international school, exposing severe safety failures and revealing the tragic final moments of their daughter's life.

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