A domestic worker from Myanmar was forced to flee from her employer and spend the night outdoors after suffering physical and emotional abuse, a court in Singapore heard on Wednesday.
Working overseas for the first time, the maid was rescued by a member of the public, who helped her make a report to police.
A Malaysian-born housewife with the surname Lee, whose has permanent residency in Singapore, pleaded guilty to six charges of abuse that occurred from July 25 to August 6, 2016, Shin Min Daily News reported. She was jailed for two weeks.
The court was told that the maid had started her employment at an apartment in Block 181 on Bedok North Road on July 23 and the abuse began several days later when Lee, 33, struck her on the forehead and stepped on her feet.
On July 28, Lee came to check on the maid’s work as she was using a 25-centimeter-long brush to clean the toilet walls. Dissatisfied with the way she was working, Lee showed her how she wanted the wall cleaned and then rubbed the dirty brush against the maid’s neck.
The employer again approached the maid one other day and slapped her across the face, saying that she had to remain vigilant at work.
There was another incident at noon on August 6, when Lee told the maid to take some freshly-washed clothes back inside after she had finished hanging them up. When the maid failed to respond to a request to give way, Lee pinched her arms and grabbed her hands.
A defense lawyer asked for leniency for Lee on the grounds that she had been diagnosed with depression and was remorseful for her actions. The lawyer noted that the maid’s poor command of English had made communications difficult.
Lee agreed to compensate the maid for the abuse she had endured.
If she will only be put to jail for a longer period of time then only she can experience the REAL depression that her diagnosis is telling the court. Sometimes it’s just a defense mechanism to shorten the sentence. Let her be depressed inside the jail so she will learn to treat peolpe with kindness and dignity.
Oh this lady need to acid tang ina ka
Josephine Vingno thats true
Not banned, send her back to Malaysia after serving her sentence
????????????????????so sad story…
What a load of crap. Rubbish from Malaysia given permanent residency in Singapore. The government here is scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Two weeks jail is too lenient for the employer. Having an attitude problem is not and excuse to use depression as a defence.
Inhumane! And just got 2 weeks punishment for the reason of having depression. So, unfair for the helper but of course she can’t do anything, it’s a decision she has no power to change.
Grrrrrrrr,that kind of employer try to get a robot maid…why they took Myanmar maid if they like a high standard clean and work.they don’t like Philippine maid because they are smart.common employer.use Ur mind.
Sorry to say that..but It was the thruth..Local Singaporean are afraid to "lose face"
Local Singaporean..wont dare to do that..only those PR coz they’re testing "How stiff really the Laws in Singapore.."
Exactly..its like most of the cases of abuse.if the other way round i don’t think they will take it as depression tsk
Never ending depression as an excuse,Haiyzzzt !!!
True , Domestic Helpers are human beings too, they come to work in foreign land to have extra income for their family back home, They should be given a better treatment while working in a foreign land.
That woman is not rich enough to hire a maid , that is the reason why she is behaving like crazy !
Very happy to read that the rights of domestic workers are being taken seriously. Good work to the helpers of this woman.
????????????????
The MOM should banned her to hire a maid in any nationality
Try to rub also the toilet brush to that crazy woman to taste her abbusive behavior….ghrrrrrr
Everytime got an abused helper.the excuses is having depression