Maid abuser jailed

[chobolan]

Dec 7, 2010

COURTS TODAY
Maid abuser jailed

By Elena Chong

AN UNEMPLOYED man was jailed for three months on Tuesday for attacking his Indonesian maid with a screwdriver and repeatedly punching her on the eyes.

Yap Yian Bee, 52, had admitted to causing hurt to Ms Sinewi, then 20, at his home in Bedok North Street 3 in August 2003. He has agreed to pay compensation of $4,000 to the maid, who is now 27.

The court heard that Yap had asked the maid to help him repair his son's toy car between 2 and 3am on Aug 7 that year when she dozed off as she was tired. He then used a screwdriver and hit her on the forehead.

Subsequently, the maid was washing dirty plates in the kitchen when he suddenly punched her several times on both eyes. He remarked that the noise would awaken the children.

Yap, who is estranged from his Filipino wife, could have been jailed for up to 18 months and/or fined up to $1,500 on each of the charges.

 

[chobolan]

Man jailed for punching maid


Man jailed for punching maid
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 07 December 2010 1306 hrs
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="260"> <tbody><tr> <td align="right" width="20"></td> <td align="right" width="240">

</td> </tr> <tr> <td height="60" valign="top"></td> <td class="update" height="80" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="138">Photos </td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="47">1 of 1</td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="18"><input disabled="disabled" id="btnPrev" value="<< Previous" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_previous.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"></td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="19"><input id="bntPlay" value="Play - Stop" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_stop.gif" height="15" type="image" width="19"></td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="18"><input disabled="disabled" id="btnNext" value=" Next >> " src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_next.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>

</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="update"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
SINGAPORE: A 52-year-old man was jailed on Tuesday for three months, for punching his Indonesian maid who was only allowed four hours' sleep a day.

Yap Yian Bee, who's unemployed, committed the offence in his flat at Block 533, Bedok North Street 3 between 2am and 3am on August 7, 2003.

Yap has also agreed to pay a compensation of S$4,000 to the maid for hurting her.

The slim, small-built man pleaded guilty to two charges in August.

He had used a screwdriver to hit Sinewi, who is now 27 years old, on her forehead.

Yap had earlier asked the maid to help him hold the front portion of his son's toy car as he wanted to repair it with some tools.

But Ms Sinewi dozed off as she was holding on to the toy, and Yap hit her with the screwdriver.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ruth Wong told the court that the maid was tired as she was only allowed to sleep from 5am to 9am every day.

DPP Wong added it was inhumane to expect Ms Sinewi to keep awake when she could only sleep four hours daily.

The court heard that after she was hit with the screwdriver, Ms Sinewi went to the kitchen to wash some dirty dishes in a sink.

Yap tailed her and punched her eyes several times.

That's because he claimed that the noise she was supposedly making would wake his children up.

Sinewi suffered injuries including bruises on her limbs and on both cheeks.

For abusing the maid, he could have been jailed 18 months, fined S$1,500 or both for each charge.

-CNA/wk