SINGAPORE - A domestic helper, who was left to take care of an intellectually-disabled boy at home while his parents were away, ill-treated him by kicking him multiple times.
She was unaware that the mother was recording the abuse through a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed in the home.
The maid, Yuni Suvi Yanti Sitepu, 38, an Indonesian, was sentenced to six months' jail in a district court on Wednesday (Aug 19). She pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating the boy.
Both the child and his mother cannot be named due to a gag order to protect his identity.
Court documents said that Yuni was employed as the family's domestic helper for more than a month at the time of her offence. Her duties included taking care of the boy, who is also suffering from global development delay, epilepsy and hypothyroidism.
The court heard that at about 10am on May 16 last year, the mother used her mobile phone to view live footage from the CCTV camera installed in the living room of her home. Court documents did not state where she was at the time.
While viewing the footage, she noticed that Yuni was engrossed in her mobile phone - singing and posing in front of it - and was not paying attention to her son.
The mother became suspicious when she saw the maid shoving the child aside, and decided to start recording.
Subsequent footage showed Yuni kicking the boy on multiple occasions, including once on the face, causing him to fall backwards.
Yuni also pushed the boy's legs forcefully towards his face once, as the child was lying on his back.
The mother stopped recording the footage at about 11.45am after noticing that her husband had returned home from work.
She made a police report at 9.14pm the same day.
Court documents said that Yuni admitted to kicking and pushing the boy "in frustration".
In his submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Ong urged the court to jail her for at least six months, noting that the boy was a vulnerable victim due to his age and "mental infirmity".
He also argued that the court should not place any mitigating weight on her guilty plea, as she was caught red-handed in abusing the child.
District Judge Ow Yong Tuck Leong backdated her jail term to June 23, when she was remanded.
Yuni could have been jailed up to four years and/or fined up to $4,000 for ill-treating the boy.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...d-who-ill-treated-intellectually-disabled-boy
She was unaware that the mother was recording the abuse through a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed in the home.
The maid, Yuni Suvi Yanti Sitepu, 38, an Indonesian, was sentenced to six months' jail in a district court on Wednesday (Aug 19). She pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating the boy.
Both the child and his mother cannot be named due to a gag order to protect his identity.
Court documents said that Yuni was employed as the family's domestic helper for more than a month at the time of her offence. Her duties included taking care of the boy, who is also suffering from global development delay, epilepsy and hypothyroidism.
The court heard that at about 10am on May 16 last year, the mother used her mobile phone to view live footage from the CCTV camera installed in the living room of her home. Court documents did not state where she was at the time.
While viewing the footage, she noticed that Yuni was engrossed in her mobile phone - singing and posing in front of it - and was not paying attention to her son.
The mother became suspicious when she saw the maid shoving the child aside, and decided to start recording.
Subsequent footage showed Yuni kicking the boy on multiple occasions, including once on the face, causing him to fall backwards.
Yuni also pushed the boy's legs forcefully towards his face once, as the child was lying on his back.
The mother stopped recording the footage at about 11.45am after noticing that her husband had returned home from work.
She made a police report at 9.14pm the same day.
Court documents said that Yuni admitted to kicking and pushing the boy "in frustration".
In his submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Ong urged the court to jail her for at least six months, noting that the boy was a vulnerable victim due to his age and "mental infirmity".
He also argued that the court should not place any mitigating weight on her guilty plea, as she was caught red-handed in abusing the child.
District Judge Ow Yong Tuck Leong backdated her jail term to June 23, when she was remanded.
Yuni could have been jailed up to four years and/or fined up to $4,000 for ill-treating the boy.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...d-who-ill-treated-intellectually-disabled-boy
