Helper Jailed Three Years for Abusing Autistic Boy in Singapore

A Singapore domestic helper who punched her employer’s four-year-old autistic son at least 23 times has been jailed for three years, Malay Mail reported on Friday (Oct 30), citing Singapore’s CNA. The 29-year-old Indonesian woman cannot be named in order to protect the victims.

Singapore Domestic Helper & Autistic Boy

The helper began working for the family in January. According to the report, the boy, who is autistic and non-verbal, could not tell his parents what was happening to him.

The abuse came to light in March, when her employer found videos and photographs of the incidents on her phone. The court heard that she punched the boy at least 23 times even as he tried to shield himself, and in a separate incident kicked him in the head twice.

She also sprayed water from a handheld shower head directly into the face of the family’s one-year-old son for 16 seconds, the report said.

Investigators further found that she had recorded videos and taken photographs of the children without clothes in the toilet, and had sent some of them to her husband. Both sides agreed these recordings were not made for sexual gratification, according to the report.

Prosecution and Defence Arguments

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamed Riasudeen sought a jail term of 35 to 41 months. Prosecutors said the helper acted out of exhaustion and frustration in caring for the boy, but argued that this did not justify the violence and that her role as a caregiver made the offences more serious.

Defence lawyer Ariffin Sha asked for two years and 10.5 months, telling the court that she had apologised and had earlier asked to be transferred out of the household.

Judge Rejects Stress as Excuse

In sentencing, District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said: “Stress is not a license for violence nor is frustration an excuse for cruelty.”

The judge also said the sentence would have been considerably longer had there been evidence that the children suffered physical injuries, according to the report.

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