Domestic Worker Admits to Abusing Toddler in Singapore, Citing Sleep Frustration

A domestic worker, Nucom Loreta Talbo, a 30-year-old Filipino, was hired to care for a toddler in Singapore. Her responsibilities included sharing a room with the child. However, instead of providing care, she abused the child due to her frustration over disrupted sleep.

Nucom pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating the child on over 22 occasions. The abuse was captured on closed-circuit television footage. The footage revealed Nucom hitting the child's head, forcefully pushing a pacifier into his mouth, and other acts of physical aggression.

The abuse occurred between March 5, 2024, and July 23, 2024. The recorded incidents included hitting the child with her fist, slapping him, and using force to make him sleep. On one occasion, she slapped the child after he cried, grabbed him by the head, and placed him in the center of his playpen.

Further instances of abuse included slapping the child's head multiple times, pulling away his blanket to hit him, and hitting him again after he woke up crying. She also slapped the child, attempted to pull his hair, and forcibly fed him with a milk bottle.

Nucom admitted to the acts, claiming she had raised her own children in a similar manner. She stated that her frustration with the child's crying and sleep disruptions led her to show him an "angry face" and hit him. The child did not receive medical attention.

The child's infant care teacher had previously noticed injuries on his body in December 2023, but Nucom denied causing them. The prosecution sought a 30-month jail sentence, emphasizing the sustained pattern of abuse against a defenseless child. The prosecutor highlighted the increased penalties for child abuse and the courts' stance on such violence. Nucom expressed remorse and asked for forgiveness. Sentencing was adjourned to allow her to speak with a representative from the Philippine Embassy.