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Couple jailed for abusing Indonesian maid

SINGAPORE — For repeatedly abusing their domestic helper for more than two years, including shoving a bottle into her mouth while she was forced to stand on a stool for about half an hour, a Singaporean couple were each sentenced to jail on Friday (March 10) by a district court.

SINGAPORE — For repeatedly abusing their domestic helper for more than two years, including shoving a bottle into her mouth while she was forced to stand on a stool for about half an hour, a Singaporean couple were each sentenced to jail Friday (March 10) by a district court.

After a 14-day trial, Tay Wee Kiat, 39, was found guilty of a total of 
12 charges, and was jailed for two years and four months. His 41-year-old wife Chia Yun Ling was given two months’ jail after being convicted of two charges.

The charges were for voluntarily causing hurt, and in Tay’s case, one count of bribery of a witness, and one for instigating a false statement.

The couple are appealing against their conviction and sentences, although their bail has been increased to S$15,000 each from the previous S$10,000.

During the trial, the court heard that the couple’s Indonesian domestic helper, Ms Fitriyah, was subjected to repeated physical and emotional abuse while working for the couple from Dec 7, 2010 to Dec 12, 2012.

Although the couple did not have any previous convictions, Deputy Public Prosecutors Kumaresan Gohulabalan and Dora Tay argued that this should not be given any mitigating weight in light of the couple’s offences.

Furthermore, they had shown no remorse as they chose to have 
Ms Fitriyah undergo a lengthy trial where she had to relive the trauma of the abuse.

Urging the court to take an “uncompromising stance and convey its strongest denunciation” of the couple’s conduct, the prosecution asked that Tay be sentenced to at least 
33 months’ jail, while his wife ought to be given at least three months’ 
imprisonment.

The sentence must correspond to the severity of the offences and act as a deterrent to prevent like-minded individuals from exploiting foreign domestic helpers who “clearly belong to a class of vulnerable victims”, they said.

The court heard that Tay, a former regional IT manager, had hit 
Ms Fitriyah’s head with canes and bamboo sticks on a number of 
occasions.

In one incident, Tay forced her to stand on a stool, and simultaneously hold another stool above her head.

He then shoved a plastic bottle into her mouth. Ms Fitriyah remained in this position for about half an hour.

Tay also tried to bribe Ms Fitriyah by offering to pay her full salary and send her back to Indonesia, in exchange for not reporting his offence to the police.

He also instructed her to lie to the police, by saying that he did not abuse a maid from Myanmar previously employed by the couple.

Chia, meanwhile, slapped Ms Fitriyah and punched her on the forehead several times on two separate occasions in 2012, because Ms Fitriyah had not reminded her to take out the damp laundry from the washing machine, and replenish the baby’s diapers.

Ms Fitriyah’s plight came to light after the couple’s former maid from Myanmar, Ms Moe Moe Than, alerted the police about the abuse.

Ms Than had worked for the couple from Jan 8, 2012 to Nov 12, 2012, a period that overlapped with Ms Fitriyah’s employment.

Ms Than was sent back to Myanmar without any explanation after Nov 2012, but returned two months later to file a report against the couple.

She testified in court that she once saw the Indonesian maid crying and that her cheeks were red after being slapped by Chia.

Tay and Chia could have been jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to S$7,500 per charge of causing hurt. They will be back in court on April 4.

In a statement, the Ministry of Manpower said cases of mistreatment involving maids are rare, but the authorities will take strong action when they occur.

“They will be punished and banned from hiring FDWs (foreign domestic workers),” said the MOM, adding that Ms Fitriyah was provided counselling and has been able to put the “difficult episode” behind her. FARIS MOKHTAR

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