SINGAPORE: Foreign domestic helpers took to social media calling for a harsher sentence than a jail term for a family of three that abused their helper.
The family would hurt their helper by slapping and burning her with a heated iron and knife. The abusers were Tan Huat, 70; his wife Tan Ai Tee, 68; and their daughter Tan Pei Ling, 46. The Indonesian maid, Ms Heni Rahayu, 27, usually started work at around 6 am and would often go to bed only between 2 am and 4 am.
Events manager Tan Pei Ling, who splashed hot coffee on Ms Heni and assaulted her with a heated iron, pleaded guilty to two assault charges. She was sentenced to 20 months in jail. Her mother, who assaulted Ms Heni with a knife, drawing blood, was given nine months in jail after pleading guilty to an assault charge. Tan Huat, who employed Ms Heni on Jan 13, 2020, was sentenced to three weeks in jail for slapping her.
Elderly couple and daughter jailed for burning maid with hot coffee and iron
In Facebook group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), many helpers called for a harsher sentence for the family because of the emotional and physical abuse they inflicted on the maid.
Here’s what they said:
Another foreign domestic worker who had a good relationship with her former employers found that things turned sour when she was transferred to a new family.
In an anonymous post to popular confessions page FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), the helper wrote that she worked with her previous employers for almost twenty years before they released her to be transferred to her current employers.
Though she did not provide a reason as to why she was transferred, the helper wrote that she still had a good relationship with her former employers, where she said, “they are like family to me”.
She even added that on her days off, she would visit her former employers from time to time.
Her current employers had a previous maid who was with them for four years, and this helper would often be compared to her.
“I’m hurting but i never complain Instead I said Sorry and Tell them i will do my best . i’m not dare to say i’m experience helper Because of the way this Current employer treat me . for them to treat me like i’m new in their house and know nothing its realy realy hurts , even i work hard to improve myself to suit their need still not enough . they every day Mentally and emotionally abuse me”, she wrote.
Through this, she added that she had the patience to finish her contract with them in two months. “I’m going back home for healing but i will come back. Will I be Treated like someone New Again ? I hope My next employer Will be kind and treat me with some respect”, the helper wrote.