SINGAPORE: An Indonesian domestic helper was sentenced to eight months’ jail on Tuesday (Mar 6) for hurting an 89-year-old grandmother on at least two occasions in the short time she worked for the victim’s family.
Yesana Elizabeth Doliab, 30, was convicted of two counts of causing hurt to Madam Mary Tan, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
As a result of her illness, Mdm Tan, who cannot recall recent events, was unable to tell her family about the abuse.
Yesana was hired to assist Mdm Tan with her daily needs, including feeding and bathing.
On Sep 15, 2017, Mdm Tan’s granddaughter called the police to report her suspicion that Yesana was abusing her grandmother.
“When I came back from work, her eyes were bloodshot … there were bruises on her face”, the granddaughter said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementYesana eventually admitted that she had poked the victim’s left eye that morning while transferring Mdm Tan from her wheelchair to her bed.
Mdm Tan’s pyjamas had become caught in the wheelchair, and she pulled Yesana’s hair. Yesana retaliated by poking Mdm Tan's eye.
Yesana also admitted to abusing Mdm Tan on several other occasions between Aug 1 and Sep 15 by pinching the grandmother hard on her breast, hip, buttocks and lower back.
Yesana had done so because Mdm Tan had called her “stupid” and pushed the maid’s head with her finger.
The prosecution sought an eight-month jail term, pointing to the fact that Mdm Tan, a vulnerable victim by virtue of her age and condition, never fought back.
She would not have been able to tell her family about the abuse either, seeing as she forgot about the incidents soon after they occurred, the prosecutor said.
For causing hurt, Yesana could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to S$5,000.
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