Maid who burnt boy with an iron steamer gets 15 months’ jail

SINGAPORE — A domestic helper who placed a heated iron steamer on the back of a two-year-old boy was today (Nov 22) sentenced to 15 months’ jail.

The 31-year-old Indonesian maid and victim cannot be named due to a gag order.

The incident happened in August this year at a unit in Woodlands Drive. At that time, the child was staying with his aunt as his parents had been admitted to a drug rehabilitation centre.

The victim, his brother and the maid were alone in the flat.

Court documents state that the boy was crying and asking the maid for biscuits when she burnt him with the hot iron steamer. She then applied ointment on the burn marks and threw away the boy’s singlet to get rid of evidence.

The maid faced another charge of causing hurt by using her mobile phone to hit the boy’s head, pulling his hair and kicking his waist. This was taken into account during sentencing.

In mitigation, the maid told the court her parents, who are in Indonesia, are very old and she has to take care of them. She added that she has to support her two children.

For causing hurt using the hot iron steamer, the maid could have been jailed up to seven years, fined and caned. CHANNEL NEWSASIA