The fatal fall to the ground of an Indonesian domestic worker from a third-floor flat, as she cleaned its windows, was ruled an “unfortunate misadventure” by a Singapore court on Friday.
Ella Wahyu Setyaningrum, 25, started working as a domestic worker in the city state last November. On November 24, she began working for an employer in a house at Punggol Parcvista, in Sumang Link.
Setyaningrum was asked by her employer’s 36-year-old daughter to clean the windows of the flat on December 3, 10 days into her new job. At 1:20pm, the daughter – who was taking an afternoon nap – suddenly heard a scream from outside and saw the domestic worker lying on the ground.
The maid was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 2am on December 4.
Citing circumstantial evidence, State Coroner Marvin Bay said Setyaningrum – who suffered injuries to her head and spinal cord – had fallen from height while cleaning the flat’s kitchen windows perched on a stool.
The coroner said the maid’s death was an “unfortunate misadventure”, The Strait Times reported on Saturday.
However, he said employers should tell their domestic workers about the potential dangers in cleaning windows, hanging laundry, or accessing structures that protrude from high-rise apartments and present potential hazards.
In Singapore, foreign maids are not allowed to clean window exteriors unless enhanced and safe working conditions are in place. Employers who fail to comply may be prosecuted and permanently barred from hiring a maid. In Hong Kong, new regulations, effective from January 1 this year, stipulate that no part of a domestic worker’s body, arms excepted, must be outside of a window while it is being cleaned.
Soo sad rip to the family.
Nothing was done with employers? It’s against the law.. And yet tagged as misadventure?! ��� it’s a lost life!!!
justice please..
Condolences to the bereaved family..
A warning that.. "NO CLEANING OF WINDOWS " rules has been circulating for many years.. I don’t understand why there is still incident happen this way.. For many yrs, employers &helpers were always reminded thru newsletters regarding this…We only have one Life.. To avoid this nightmare, we should comply with the laws…
So Sad..
Sometimes taking things for granted would harm someone. I just don’t understand why there are fussy employers who wants their house exterior windows to be cleaned and ask helpers to do it when intact they themselves doesn’t want to clean? It is a sad thing that because of this damn fussiness, a life was lost… It may have been the helpers fault for not taking extra precautions but at the end if the day this is the employers responsibility to make sure that her worker is not in danger.
RIP�
Just back from Singapore after two years Maids treated like slaves the daughter should do. Time in jail and the poor girls family should get compensation they will not have time for sleeping in the afternoon . R I P you sweet sweet angel � �
The maid did not have any say in the cleaning of windows ,I watched them out there make these poor girls work please get together and call for justice.
Marian philpott wants justice for this girl
Astagfirullah wall adziim,, she went to s’pore to earn money but see what happent,,
Hsb