Domestic helper gets jail for punching child, filming obscene videos of kids under her care

A domestic helper was sentenced to three years’ jail on Friday (Oct 30) for repeatedly abusing a four-year-old autistic child as well as filming obscene videos of three children under her care.

The 29-year-old Indonesian punched the four-year-old boy at least 23 times and sprayed water directly into his one-year-old brother’s face, local media reported.

She sent the videos of the children, including the boys' seven-year-old sister, to her husband to show him how "mischievous" they were.

The prosecution and defence agreed that the videos were not taken for sexual gratification, but the prosecution pointed out that the woman's husband could have forwarded the videos to other people.

The woman, whose name cannot be revealed due to a gag order to protect the childrens' identities, pleaded guilty to two counts of ill-treating a child and one count of electronically transmitting obscene materials to her husband in Indonesia.

Six other charges were also considered in her sentencing.

District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz highlighted how the case reflected a "profound betrayal of trust", noting that the four-year-old victim was fully dependent on the helper and unable to seek help as he was non-verbal.

The domestic helper committed the offences between February and March, shortly after she was employed by the family in January, The Straits Times reported.

She sent a total of four photos and videos of the boys to her husband via WhatsApp, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamed Riasudeen.

She filmed herself repeatedly punching the four-year-old boy's head in early February, removing his hands as he tried to shield himself before continuing the abuse.

In March, the helper also forcefully kicked his head, causing him to stumble and cry.

According to Riasudeen, she committed the offences as she was feeling tired and frustrated caring for the boy.

Her actions came to light after the children's father checked her phone as he suspected she was malingering.

He found the materials involving his children and alerted the police, who arrested the woman on March 14.

The defence told the court that the helper had requested for a transfer twice before these incidents occurred, CNA reported.

She also had a report from the Institute of Mental Health stating that she had been feeling stressed at the time.

“Stress is not a license for violence nor is frustration an excuse for cruelty,” the judge said while acknowledging the physical and emotional demands of caregiving.

laili.abdeen@asiaone.com

一名家庭佣工因多次虐待一名四岁自闭症儿童以及拍摄其照看的三名儿童的淫秽视频，于周五（10 月 30 日）被判处三年监禁。

据当地媒体报道，这名29岁的印尼男子至少打了4岁男孩23拳，还直接向他1岁的弟弟脸上喷水。

她把孩子们（包括男孩们七岁的妹妹）的视频发给丈夫，让他看看孩子们有多“调皮”。

控辩双方一致认为这些视频并非出于性满足而拍摄，但控方指出，该女子的丈夫有可能将这些视频转发给了其他人。

由于法院下达了禁言令以保护儿童的身份，该女子的姓名不能透露。她承认犯有两项虐待儿童罪和一项向其在印度尼西亚的丈夫以电子方式传播淫秽物品罪。

在对她进行量刑时，还考虑了其​​他六项指控。

地区法官沙米拉·斯里帕蒂-沙纳兹强调，这起案件反映了“对信任的严重背叛”，并指出，这名四岁的受害者完全依赖于帮助者，而且由于他不会说话，所以无法寻求帮助。

据《海峡时报》报道，这名女佣在2月至3月期间犯下了这些罪行，而她于1月份才被该家庭雇用。

副检察官穆罕默德·里亚苏丁表示，她通过 WhatsApp 向丈夫发送了总共四张男孩的照片和视频。

2月初，她拍摄了自己反复殴打这名四岁男孩头部的视频，男孩试图保护自己时，她还打掉了他的双手，然后继续施暴。

三月份，这名帮工还用力踢了他的头，导致他踉跄哭泣。

据里亚苏丁称，她之所以犯下这些罪行，是因为她在照顾这个男孩时感到疲惫和沮丧。

孩子们的父亲怀疑她装病，于是查看了她的手机，她的行为才被揭露出来。

他发现了与他孩子有关的材料，并通知了警方，警方于 3 月 14 日逮捕了该女子。

据中央社报道，辩方告诉法庭，这名帮佣在这些事件发生前曾两次要求调岗。

她还有一份来自精神健康研究所的报告，表明她当时感到压力很大。

“压力不是暴力的借口，挫折也不是残忍的借口，”法官在承认照顾者在身体和情感上的双重压力时说道。

laili.abdeen@asiaone.com