A 45-year-old woman who confined and physically abused her Filipina domestic helper, has had her jail term tripled to 24 weeks as prosecutors won in an appeal case at Singapore’s High Court last Friday.
At the end of 2011, Jonna Memeje Muegue, now 28, started working for Chua Siew Peng and her 76-year-old mother, Lum Wai Lui, in an apartment at Maplewoods on Bukit Timah Road that belonged to Chua’s younger sister, Kathleen Chua Siew Wei, Lianhe Zaobao reports.
Muegue was physically abused by the Chua sisters and Lum for 11 months and was not allowed to take leave, talk to outsiders or make any phone calls during the period.
On October 29, 2012, Lum punched and slapped Muegue as she ate food that was not meant for her. Lum also slammed the maid’s head against the wall and poured bleach on her, while Chua Siew Peng pulled her hair and slapped her repeatedly.
The following day, Muegue escaped the apartment by climbing out of a window but fractured her feet when she landed on a roof one floor below, The Straits Times reports.
In February 2016, Lum was given 21 months’ probation, instead of imprisonment, as she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
In May of last year, Chua Siew Peng was jailed for eight weeks after she was found guilty on one count of wrongful confinement and one count of causing hurt to the maid. Both Chua and the prosecutor appealed to the High Court.
On Friday, Justice Chan Seng Onn dismissed Chua’s appeal and allowed the prosecution’s appeal.
some were threatened that they will be deported, banned and worse be jailed…
some opted to stay coz they need money for their families, to pay for the agent, etc…
some were really "imprisoned" by their employer so escape is really difficult…
some took them long to leave coz they just simply don’t know where to go, whom to trust and who to call for help.and they are scared…
What about the appeal against Kong Hee?
Maybe going to the jail is only on a short time in a weeks not a years or more
Sick bastards should be in jail for at least 10 yrs crazy idiots animals.
Am so happy that finally our voice are being heard now a days there. Previously we just tolerate and work hard…. Thank God for your mercy
It’s good to know that Singapore still have fair justice for all including expats. It’s very unbecoming to read news about abusive employers especially from one of the most prosperous countries like Singapore.
24 weeks only ?????
Good be gets good
Bad be gets bad..
What you give is what you get…vise versa….it’s means that there will be a time someday that you will experience also what you have done to others ..either bad or good..the measure you used to other people .it’s the same measure that they will use for you.
Well serve them right..pls respect humanity
Execuse to get lower punishment
Wheres the true justice pls.punished who committed crime they r abusing we r human not animak or slaved.justice be done.pls.catch the culprits so that cannot be repeated in others.
Yan ang lahi ng mga tao sa mundo na gustong gustong kaibiganin ni Digong
The punishment is not enough, for the pain and suffering that the maid had been through. The employers in SG aren’t that afraid of the law i may say, and the law in SG are not as strict as i thought so. It is so unfair!! Good thing here in H.K, employers are afraid of there law. The law here now for us DH are much better than before, police or government wont just set and wait. They’ll pursue your complaint, and even if you are just a helper they’re treatment is fair. So the employers nowadays in here are more careful about there acts than before.. I hope in SG it’ll be like here
Zahra Azeez how if they are not allowed to go out or not allowed to make phone calls? That`s the problem. See, this maid escaped and had fractured foot!
singaporian people are sick
Ron Admiran so that is how sg justice works. Just act gila can get better punishment.�
should go to jail for 11Months and give the maid compensation for the ill treatment and bodaly harm …
Always the case claim mentally ill because very rich can afford a lawyer. Pity the maid luckily she only fractured her ankle. If she didn’t escape those animals could have killed her. Her guardian Angel was watching over her.
The maid was physically abused for eleven months. So the monstrous employer should also be jailed for at least the equal number of months. 24 weeks is definitely still too lenient.
Zahra Azeez – agree