Woman who posted a helper’s photo online and blamed her for a toddler running away while under her care sparks debate

SINGAPORE: After a woman posted in a local online complaint group about a toddler running barefoot on the service road at Punggol Drive and reprimanding the helper responsible for him, it sparked a debate among commenters.

On the Complaint Singapore Facebook page on Wednesday morning (Dec 11), the woman posted a photo of a helper holding a small child in her arms.

While the toddler is facing away from the camera in the picture, the face of the helper, however, can be seen, which some commenters felt was uncalled-for.

The post author wrote that she saw the toddler running “on the middle service road near 612A Punggol Drive” while she was on her way home. She added that two women were chasing the child, but the post author herself “managed to intercept him by carrying him to the side.”

She tried to ask him if he knew his parents’ phone numbers, but he was unable to answer, so she began to call the police. In the middle of the call, however, a passerby saw a woman searching for the boy at the void deck of 614A.

This woman was a friend of the helper responsible for the boy, who was also looking for him. The post author then went to the helper and couldn’t  help “but to reprimand her for her negligence.”

“I hope this post can help to alert the parent of this boy,” she added.

Some commenters appeared to hold the helper at fault, saying they should be alert when they’re out with the children they care for, and others thanked the post author for stepping in.

Others said she had done the right thing but questioned the need for her to post the photo with the helper’s face in full display. “Good job catching the boy, but did you really need to take a photo and post it?” one wrote.

A number of commenters pointed out that children can slip away very quickly from those who are minding them. Others pointed out that the work of a domestic helper is also not easy and that they should not be judged harshly.

One wrote that the boy may have special needs, given that the post author had said he could not talk. The commenter added that these children can be especially challenging to take care of.

However, others were unhappy with the helper, saying that the child had been in danger and that her employers should dismiss her.

The Independent Singapore has contacted the post author for further comments or updates. /TISG

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