Domestic Worker Sentenced to Prison for Ill-Treating One-Year-Old Boy

In Singapore, a 29-year-old domestic worker named Hsu Yee Mon has been sentenced to a year in prison for mistreating a one-year-old boy she was responsible for. The incident occurred on July 1, when the child's parents, having noticed he was unwell, left him with Hsu instead of taking him to a childcare center.

While tending to the boy, Hsu struck his face, resulting in visible injuries to his cheek and lip. Court proceedings revealed that after the child began crying, she pressed on his stomach and then slapped him, causing him to lean to the side. This action was captured by surveillance footage, which raised alarm among those present in the courtroom when shown.

Following the incident, to hide the evidence of her actions, Hsu applied sugar to the boy's lip in an attempt to make the injury less noticeable. When the child’s parents returned home, she falsely claimed that he had fallen, but after viewing the CCTV footage, the father reported the abuse to the authorities.

Throughout the investigations, Hsu maintained her story, insisting she had not harmed the child intentionally and that he had simply fallen. The prosecution emphasized the vulnerable position of the child and sought a sentence of 10 to 12 months, citing the severity of Hsu's actions. Despite her remorse expressed during the hearing and requests for leniency due to her personal circumstances, the judge deemed her actions as serious and deserving of a custodial sentence.