Maid who punched 101-year-old woman and taped her mouth to mask her screams gets 20 weeks' jail
SINGAPORE - A maid who punched and slapped a 101-year-old woman under her care was sentenced to 20 weeks' jail on Friday (March 28).
Aye Aye Aung, who also put tape over the elderly woman's mouth to mask her screams, pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt to a vulnerable person.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Chye Jer Yuan said closed-circuit television camera footage dated Feb 23, 2024, captured multiple abuses by Aye Aye Aung that lasted for about 30 minutes.
She punched the elderly woman in her waist, which caused her to wail in pain, before tying her hands to the bed railings.
She restrained the victim by kneeling on the woman's chest with her full body weight. After the victim cried out in pain, Aye Aye Aung taped up her mouth to stop her from wailing.
APP Chye said: "At this juncture, the victim was so afraid of the accused that she raised her hand to defend herself from the accused."
The maid then repeatedly slapped the woman's face while she was changing her feeding tube.
Footage from four days later showed similar abuse that lasted for around the same time, as Aye Aye Aung punched and slapped the elderly woman multiple times.
APP Chye said the victim's daughter, who was staying with her and the maid at the time of the offences, was unaware of the abuse on both dates, as she was not at home.
The victim's 43-year-old granddaughter received a message from her aunt on Feb 27, 2024, to inform her that she would be sending some videos of Aye Aye Aung physically assaulting the victim.
After she received and viewed the footage, the granddaughter went to the victim's home to check on her and spotted a wound on her right forearm.
To avoid causing any alarm, the granddaughter did not confront the maid. She called the police for assistance on Feb 28 after discussing the issue with her family.
The victim was taken to hospital for a medical assessment. After an examination, a report noted she had multiple bruises, including on her arms and chest.
The report also said the elderly woman is dependent on others to carry out basic activities of daily living, is bed-bound, on nasogastric tube feeding and is minimally communicative.
APP Chye said it was fortunate that the elderly victim did not suffer severe injuries due to Aye Aye Aung's offences.
For each count of voluntarily causing hurt, an offender can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $5,000, or both. The maximum sentence can be doubled for offences against vulnerable victims.
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