Rich businessman divorces wife after she abused four of their five adopted children

SINGAPORE: A husband has successfully divorced his wife after enduring years of her severe abuse towards four of their five adopted children.

The couple married in 2008 and remained together for 16 years until the divorce was finalised in November last year.

The 53-year-old husband, an engineer and director of three companies, had continued to pay his wife a monthly salary of $6,000 from one of the businesses despite the fact that she rarely worked and spent most of her time at home.

Unable to have biological children, the couple adopted five children (aged between 7 and 12) between 2013 and 2018.

However, it was discovered that the woman had abused four of the children, showcasing favouritism. With this, the man successfully obtained a personal protection order for himself and the children.

The judge stated that the wife’s behaviour brought pain to the family, and awarded only 5.1% of their marital assets, and lost custody of all the children.

The situation was so bad that the four abused children were taken away by the authorities and placed in a children’s centre. The wife was not allowed to visit them. 

The husband initiated divorce proceedings, and the wife initially participated. However, from April this year onward, she ceased all communication, failed to submit the required documents and affidavits, and repeatedly refused to attend court hearings. As a result, the case proceeded without her involvement, leading to the divorce being granted in November last year.

In Singapore laws, one can ask the Family Court for a personal protection order (PPO) to keep one’s self or a family member safe from any violence caused by another family member.

Filing this protection order can be done in person at any Protection Specialist Centre (PSC) or at the Family Protection Centre (FPC) located in the Family Justice Courts.

Furthermore, one may submit a draft application and documents online before visiting the said centres.