"Couple on trial for starving maid till she weighed just 29kg - CNA 14 December 2015
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean couple is on trial for allegedly starving their Filipina domestic helper. She weighed just 29kg when she escaped from their Orchard Road condominium in April 2014.
Lim Choon Hong and wife Chong Sui Foon, both 47, face one charge each under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, which states that employers are responsible for the "maintenance" of their foreign employee, including proving them with adequate food.
Ms Thelma Oyasan Gawidan, 40, had worked for the couple for almost 1.5 years before she escaped and sought refuge at HOME, a non-profit organisation that assists migrant workers, including domestic helpers.
Ms Thelma lost 20kg whilst working for Lim and Chong. She told HOME of only being given instant noodles to eat twice a day for over a year. On some occasions, she was given bread.
Chong also only allowed her to shower once or twice a week, keeping tabs on Ms Thelma to make sure she did not use any hot water, despite forcing her to shower in the condominium's public toilet, Ms Christina Quek, the investigation officer in charge of the case, told the court.
HOME reported Ms Thelma's conditions to the Ministry of Manpower, who directed the NGO to send Ms Thelma for a medical check up.
In court on Monday (Dec 14), Dr Lim Huiyu, senior resident at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's department of gastroenterology and hepatology who examined Ms Thelma in April this year, testified that she suffered "significant weight loss due to insufficient intake of food". This conclusion was arrived at after ruling out medical or organic causes. So malnourished was Ms Thelma that she did not have her period for a year, the doctor said.
Ms Thelma was never allowed to eat out with the family. Even when Lim and Chong brought their three children to stay at Raffles Hotel, they packed instant noodles and bread for Ms Thelma.
Ms Thelma sobbed uncontrollably in court and covered her face when shown pictures of herself at 29kg, after running away from her employers' home.
If found guilty, Lim and Chong could be jailed up to 12 months and/or fined up to S$10,000."
Are you JOKING or what? This is happening in Singapore??
Lessons for me are:
1. rich does not mean ANYTHING! Orchard Condo. Stay in Raffles Hotel. This couple obviously are wealthy. Yet, their behaviours towards the maid were simple dastardly and inhumane! How could a human being treat another fellow human being in such a cruel and sick manner. Sick!! But then IF they plead insanity and of unsound minds, they may get off easy!! Should the laws allowed them?;
2. I shudder to think about HOW would their 3 children be impacted and influenced? How old are they? Are they aware, or worst, MADE to witness what their parents are doing to the maid? Or EVEN WORST, actually partake in some of these tortures? OMG! I hope not. In any case, the MFS will NEED to get involve and EXAMINE the kids for any mental traumas and issues. Surely we need to ensure that the kids get early psychiatric help IF they are TAINTED!!;
3. looking at the 'penalties' the couple will get IF they are convicted of such cruelty makes one wonder IF the laws had been too lenient? Possible jail for 12-month or/& fine of S$10k. For goodness sake let's hope the judge does not go for the fine bit as S$10k to this couple would have been like loose change! While not wanting to pre-judge the case, the appropriate sentence, IF the couple are judged to had committed the crime, should be the max of 12-month jail AND S$10k fine. Thereafter, to provide psychiatric help to them and hopefully fix them. Also, if the kids are damaged goods, better provide help to them as well!!
Simply unimaginable that such savage behaviours still exist in modern Singapore!!
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean couple is on trial for allegedly starving their Filipina domestic helper. She weighed just 29kg when she escaped from their Orchard Road condominium in April 2014.
Lim Choon Hong and wife Chong Sui Foon, both 47, face one charge each under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, which states that employers are responsible for the "maintenance" of their foreign employee, including proving them with adequate food.
Ms Thelma Oyasan Gawidan, 40, had worked for the couple for almost 1.5 years before she escaped and sought refuge at HOME, a non-profit organisation that assists migrant workers, including domestic helpers.
Ms Thelma lost 20kg whilst working for Lim and Chong. She told HOME of only being given instant noodles to eat twice a day for over a year. On some occasions, she was given bread.
Chong also only allowed her to shower once or twice a week, keeping tabs on Ms Thelma to make sure she did not use any hot water, despite forcing her to shower in the condominium's public toilet, Ms Christina Quek, the investigation officer in charge of the case, told the court.
HOME reported Ms Thelma's conditions to the Ministry of Manpower, who directed the NGO to send Ms Thelma for a medical check up.
In court on Monday (Dec 14), Dr Lim Huiyu, senior resident at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's department of gastroenterology and hepatology who examined Ms Thelma in April this year, testified that she suffered "significant weight loss due to insufficient intake of food". This conclusion was arrived at after ruling out medical or organic causes. So malnourished was Ms Thelma that she did not have her period for a year, the doctor said.
Ms Thelma was never allowed to eat out with the family. Even when Lim and Chong brought their three children to stay at Raffles Hotel, they packed instant noodles and bread for Ms Thelma.
Ms Thelma sobbed uncontrollably in court and covered her face when shown pictures of herself at 29kg, after running away from her employers' home.
If found guilty, Lim and Chong could be jailed up to 12 months and/or fined up to S$10,000."
Are you JOKING or what? This is happening in Singapore??
Lessons for me are:
1. rich does not mean ANYTHING! Orchard Condo. Stay in Raffles Hotel. This couple obviously are wealthy. Yet, their behaviours towards the maid were simple dastardly and inhumane! How could a human being treat another fellow human being in such a cruel and sick manner. Sick!! But then IF they plead insanity and of unsound minds, they may get off easy!! Should the laws allowed them?;
2. I shudder to think about HOW would their 3 children be impacted and influenced? How old are they? Are they aware, or worst, MADE to witness what their parents are doing to the maid? Or EVEN WORST, actually partake in some of these tortures? OMG! I hope not. In any case, the MFS will NEED to get involve and EXAMINE the kids for any mental traumas and issues. Surely we need to ensure that the kids get early psychiatric help IF they are TAINTED!!;
3. looking at the 'penalties' the couple will get IF they are convicted of such cruelty makes one wonder IF the laws had been too lenient? Possible jail for 12-month or/& fine of S$10k. For goodness sake let's hope the judge does not go for the fine bit as S$10k to this couple would have been like loose change! While not wanting to pre-judge the case, the appropriate sentence, IF the couple are judged to had committed the crime, should be the max of 12-month jail AND S$10k fine. Thereafter, to provide psychiatric help to them and hopefully fix them. Also, if the kids are damaged goods, better provide help to them as well!!
Simply unimaginable that such savage behaviours still exist in modern Singapore!!
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