SINGAPORE: A domestic worker who was directed to stay temporarily in another flat in order not to transmit her illness to her employer's son later refused to return home, saying she no longer wanted to work for her employer.
In the fracas that followed, the maid was pulled and kicked in an attempt to force her out of the flat. She was also threatened to be reported to the police for allegations of theft, so she would be barred from returning to Singapore to work.
A grandmother who lived in the same household as the maid was fined S$3,000 on Friday (Dec 10) for her role in the incident.
China national Hai Yulan, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of using criminal force on the victim, a 31-year-old Myanmar national.
The court heard that the victim stayed in a second-floor flat with Hai and her daughter, 33-year-old China national Bai Yihong.
The husband of Bai was victim's employer. He owned the second-floor flat that his wife and Hai lived in, but would stay over more often at a flat on the fourth floor, where his own parents lived.
The victim began working for Bai and her husband at their second-floor flat in November 2019. She was not fluent in Mandarin and did not understand Bai on certain occasions, the court heard.
She was unhappy during her employment as Bai had allegedly hit her multiple times. On Nov 5, 2020, the victim had a stomach ache and went to see a doctor.
Worried that her infant son might catch an illness from the victim, Bai directed her to stay at the fourth-floor flat with her husband's parents for one day.
However, when Bai went to her in-laws' place the next day to take the maid home, the victim sat on the floor of the living room and refused to leave.
There were closed-circuit television cameras in the living room that partially captured the incident.
Bai, who was accompanied by her mother Hai, demanded that the maid return to her second-floor flat. The victim refused, saying she no longer wanted to work for Bai.
Bai began scolding her and accused her of stealing items from the house. She threatened to inform her agent about the alleged theft so that the victim would have to return to Myanmar and be barred from working in Singapore.
The victim refused and said she wanted to call her agent. Bai then repeatedly shouted at the victim to pack her things and "get lost" from the house, but the victim insisted on getting her agent to fetch her and refused to budge.
Bai then pulled the victim by her arm, intending to drag her out of the flat. Hai, who was holding onto Bai's infant son, told Bai to leave.
However, Bai continued to shout at the victim and pull on her arm. Hai then joined her daughter and pulled the victim's other arm, in order to drag her out of the flat.
The victim resisted and Hai grabbed the victim's shoulders, intending to pull her out of the house. Bai began kicking the victim and raining blows on her, while her mother continued grabbing the victim's arm and hair to pull her out.
The fracas continued with the victim sobbing on the floor and Bai kicking her. The victim hit her lips against a wheelchair and began bleeding onto her shirt.
Hai tried to calm her down by holding her, but the victim began screaming. Bai's husband began shouting at her to go back home, and Bai fetched a bowl of water to clean the victim's bleeding lips.
The victim lay on the ground crying and writhing for some time, said the prosecutor. Hai tried to restrain her and change her out of her bloodied shirt.
In doing so, she removed her top and revealed her bra in front of Bai's husband, Bai's in-laws and another domestic worker in the house. She placed another shirt on the victim.
The victim's agent later arrived at the flat and the victim lodged a police report that same day. She was seen in hospital with a lip laceration, wounds on her arm, a bruise on her face and a strained back. After the incident, the victim said she experiences heart palpitations when she hears sudden noises.
The prosecutor sought the maximum fine of S$3,000, saying it was "two against one" in this case, with the victim having to suffer "the indignity of being dragged out of the house in front of the entire family".
Defence lawyer Kevin Liew sought a lower fine, saying that Hai had minimal involvement in the case, and even tried to protect the victim by shielding her and trying to comfort her.
He said Hai had attempted to mediate the situation, by protecting the victim and calming her own daughter down.
He also highlighted Hai's clean record, saying she is not a violent person but was "caught up in the heat of moment" and between her daughter and the victim.
Hai had a good relationship with the victim before the incident and cooperated with the authorities, said Mr Liew. She also has medical ailments including coronary heart disease and hives, and recently lost her son-in-law, Bai's husband, to a fatal heart attack in October.
"The family is still grieving this painful loss," said the lawyer.
The judge noted that Hai is a first-time offender and has pleaded guilty, but noted that she not only grabbed the maid's arm and shoulders but also pulled her hair.
Bai faces six charges of abusing a maid and a seventh of attempted obstruction of justice. She is accused of instructing her husband to ask his sister to delete the incriminating CCTV footage. Her case is pending and she is set to return to court next week.
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In the fracas that followed, the maid was pulled and kicked in an attempt to force her out of the flat. She was also threatened to be reported to the police for allegations of theft, so she would be barred from returning to Singapore to work.
A grandmother who lived in the same household as the maid was fined S$3,000 on Friday (Dec 10) for her role in the incident.
China national Hai Yulan, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of using criminal force on the victim, a 31-year-old Myanmar national.
The court heard that the victim stayed in a second-floor flat with Hai and her daughter, 33-year-old China national Bai Yihong.
The husband of Bai was victim's employer. He owned the second-floor flat that his wife and Hai lived in, but would stay over more often at a flat on the fourth floor, where his own parents lived.
The victim began working for Bai and her husband at their second-floor flat in November 2019. She was not fluent in Mandarin and did not understand Bai on certain occasions, the court heard.
She was unhappy during her employment as Bai had allegedly hit her multiple times. On Nov 5, 2020, the victim had a stomach ache and went to see a doctor.
BAI INSTRUCTED MAID TO STAY AT ANOTHER FLAT FOR A DAY
Worried that her infant son might catch an illness from the victim, Bai directed her to stay at the fourth-floor flat with her husband's parents for one day.
However, when Bai went to her in-laws' place the next day to take the maid home, the victim sat on the floor of the living room and refused to leave.
There were closed-circuit television cameras in the living room that partially captured the incident.
Bai, who was accompanied by her mother Hai, demanded that the maid return to her second-floor flat. The victim refused, saying she no longer wanted to work for Bai.
Bai began scolding her and accused her of stealing items from the house. She threatened to inform her agent about the alleged theft so that the victim would have to return to Myanmar and be barred from working in Singapore.
The victim refused and said she wanted to call her agent. Bai then repeatedly shouted at the victim to pack her things and "get lost" from the house, but the victim insisted on getting her agent to fetch her and refused to budge.
Bai then pulled the victim by her arm, intending to drag her out of the flat. Hai, who was holding onto Bai's infant son, told Bai to leave.
However, Bai continued to shout at the victim and pull on her arm. Hai then joined her daughter and pulled the victim's other arm, in order to drag her out of the flat.
VICTIM RESISTED, BEGAN BLEEDING FROM INJURY
The victim resisted and Hai grabbed the victim's shoulders, intending to pull her out of the house. Bai began kicking the victim and raining blows on her, while her mother continued grabbing the victim's arm and hair to pull her out.
The fracas continued with the victim sobbing on the floor and Bai kicking her. The victim hit her lips against a wheelchair and began bleeding onto her shirt.
Hai tried to calm her down by holding her, but the victim began screaming. Bai's husband began shouting at her to go back home, and Bai fetched a bowl of water to clean the victim's bleeding lips.
The victim lay on the ground crying and writhing for some time, said the prosecutor. Hai tried to restrain her and change her out of her bloodied shirt.
In doing so, she removed her top and revealed her bra in front of Bai's husband, Bai's in-laws and another domestic worker in the house. She placed another shirt on the victim.
The victim's agent later arrived at the flat and the victim lodged a police report that same day. She was seen in hospital with a lip laceration, wounds on her arm, a bruise on her face and a strained back. After the incident, the victim said she experiences heart palpitations when she hears sudden noises.
The prosecutor sought the maximum fine of S$3,000, saying it was "two against one" in this case, with the victim having to suffer "the indignity of being dragged out of the house in front of the entire family".
GRANDMOTHER TRIED TO PROTECT VICTIM: DEFENCE
Defence lawyer Kevin Liew sought a lower fine, saying that Hai had minimal involvement in the case, and even tried to protect the victim by shielding her and trying to comfort her.
He said Hai had attempted to mediate the situation, by protecting the victim and calming her own daughter down.
He also highlighted Hai's clean record, saying she is not a violent person but was "caught up in the heat of moment" and between her daughter and the victim.
Hai had a good relationship with the victim before the incident and cooperated with the authorities, said Mr Liew. She also has medical ailments including coronary heart disease and hives, and recently lost her son-in-law, Bai's husband, to a fatal heart attack in October.
"The family is still grieving this painful loss," said the lawyer.
The judge noted that Hai is a first-time offender and has pleaded guilty, but noted that she not only grabbed the maid's arm and shoulders but also pulled her hair.
Bai faces six charges of abusing a maid and a seventh of attempted obstruction of justice. She is accused of instructing her husband to ask his sister to delete the incriminating CCTV footage. Her case is pending and she is set to return to court next week.
Continue reading...