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Independent Singapore
3 days ago
- Independent Singapore
Maid who pinched and slapped 1-year-old who interrupted her sleep said this is how she raised her own children
SINGAPORE: The prosecution is seeking a 30-month jail sentence for a helper from the Philippines who abused a young child in her care on over 20 occasions when he interrupted her sleep. While she has said that she hopes the boy's parents will forgive her, she also claimed that she treated her own children back home. According to a Channel NewsAsia (CNA) report, Nucom Loreta Talbo was responsible for the care of a one-year-old boy, who slept in the same room as she did. She began working for the child's family in September 2023, and between Mar 5, 2024, and Jul 23, 2024, she abused him at least 22 times. Nucom pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating a child over 22 occasions on Wednesday (Jul 16) and will be sentenced on Jul 30, with CNA adding that the helper has been given the opportunity to talk to a representative from the Philippine Embassy. While the child's parents were only alerted to the helper hurting their child in July 2024, the abuse could have started as early as December 2023, when the boy's teacher found signs of injury. The helper denied having hurt the boy when the parents confronted her, however. See also Employer "can't afford maid's medical bill" — wants to replace her On Jul 23, 2024, the boy's parents woke up in the middle of the night because they heard him crying loudly. This prompted them to check footage from the CCTV camera in the bedroom the helper shared with the boy, and they discovered that she had been hitting the boy's head several times, slapping him, pinching his cheek, and other examples of rough handling. Even with the evidence, Nucom at first denied mistreating the child, but later admitted it, adding that she had raised her children with such treatment. It is unknown if the helper was abusive toward the boy prior to Mar 5, 2024, as the CCTV had been faulty before that date. A number of commenters on the story, while horrified at the cruelty of Nucom's actions and expressing the hope that she is punished accordingly, also said that it would be better if helpers had clearer roles. They argued that maids should be expected to do housework, and if they are hired as nannies, then this should be their primary duty, particularly if they are responsible for the care of very young children, and not a mixture of both. 'You either hired helper for the housework and a nanny for the kids. Never two jobs for the helper,' wrote one. Another said it has been common for people to 'hire a maid who has to do all the chores, cook, take care of the kids, and even walk their dogs, sometimes even on her rest days.' A number of commenters said that young children should sleep with their parents, and not with helpers, especially since toddlers are still unable to express themselves in cases where they have been hurt. This would also ensure that the helper gets a break from her duties, especially if she does housework as well as childcare. 'I will never let my helper sleep with my baby. My baby still does at least one night feed, helper already has so much work in the day, it is cruel not to let her have proper sleep at night,' one woman wrote. Local Reddit users appeared to agree. 'You cannot expect infinite patience from them when the child cries through the night or disrupts their rest. Even as parents, we experience frustration when the child just keeps waking up through the night. It is wrong for them to abuse your child, yes, but do you want to take the risk that they will do it without your knowledge to your child who is unable to voice their suffering to you?' one wrote. 'The thing is, nannies are not maids and maids are not nannies, but it ends up becoming part of their job scope to do anything and everything. If ppl cannot take care of their two to three kids daily while doing all the housework… why do they expect the maid to do it?' another added. /TISG Read also: 'DO NOT HIRE A MAID IF…': Singaporean calls out unrealistic expectations of employers
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Indian-origin former policeman jailed for role in house help's death in Singapore
A Singapore court on Thursday (July 17, 2025) sentenced an Indian-origin person to 10 years imprisonment for his role in the fatal abuse of a 24-year-old house help, who died after months of starvation and physical torture by his ex-wife and mother-in-law. Kevin Chelvam, 46, a former police officer, was convicted on four charges, including voluntarily causing hurt to Piang Ngaih Don, abetting grievous hurt by starvation, providing false information to the police, and tampering with evidence by dismantling a CCTV recorder from his home. According to a Channel News Asia report, Don, who hailed from Myanmar, died on July 26, 2016, from brain injuries caused by repeated blunt trauma. Severely malnourished, she weighed just 24 kilograms at the time of her death, it said. District Judge Teoh Ai Lin noted that Chelvam was her legal employer but did nothing while Don was regularly abused by his then-wife, Gaiyathiri Murugayan, and mother-in-law, Prema S Narayanasamy. Both women are already serving prison sentences of 30 and 17 years, respectively, for their roles in the case. The court also found that he actively removed the CCTV recorder containing crucial evidence and misled investigators. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh said the footage recovered from the flat showed Chelvam present during several instances of abuse and accused him of endorsing the denial of food to the victim, which contributed to her inability to survive the beatings. The court, however, granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal on a fifth charge of using criminal force.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Indian-origin ex-cop jailed in Singapore: 10 years for fatal abuse of Myanmar maid; victim starved, weighed just 24kg
Representative photo A Singapore court on Thursday sentenced Kevin Chelvam, a 46-year-old Indian-origin former police officer, to 10 years in jail for his role in the fatal abuse of a 24-year-old house help who died from starvation and torture. Chelvam was found guilty of four charges, including voluntarily causing hurt, abetting grievous hurt by starvation, providing false information to police, and tampering with evidence. The case relates to the death of Piang Ngaih Don, a domestic worker from Myanmar, who died on July 26, 2016, from brain injuries caused by repeated blunt trauma. At the time of her death, she was severely malnourished, weighing just 24 kilograms. According to Channel News Asia, Chelvam, who was Don's legal employer, allowed her to be abused over several months by his ex-wife, Gaiyathiri Murugayan, and his mother-in-law, Prema S Narayanasamy. Murugayan and Narayanasamy are already serving 30-year and 17-year sentences, respectively, for their roles in the abuse. District Judge Teoh Ai Lin noted Chelvam's failure to intervene or protect Don, despite witnessing her deteriorating condition. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo He also removed the home's CCTV recorder to conceal evidence and lied to investigators. Prosecutor Sean Teh said video footage showed Chelvam present during several episodes of abuse and accused him of supporting the starvation that contributed to Don's death. Chelvam was acquitted on a fifth charge of using criminal force.
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
Indian Student Jailed For 35 Months In Singapore Over Construction Worker's Death: Report
A 22-year-old Indian student was on Wednesday sentenced to 35 months in prison for causing the death of a fellow Indian national by pushing him into the river while intoxicated. Legha Pawan pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Jasbir Singh, a 33-year-old construction worker, on the night of June 30 last year. The original charge of causing death by a rash act was reduced and another charge was taken into consideration, according to a Channel News Asia report. Singh, who was married with two young children in India, had been the sole breadwinner for his family. The court heard that both Legha and Singh were intoxicated on June 30 night when the incident happened. After Singh was pushed into the river at Clarke Quay, a popular riverside tourism-leisure point, a nearby couple raised alarm. Rescue divers located his body a few hours later. Legha fled the scene and attempted to avoid arrest, however, he was arrested the next morning, the report added. Deputy Public Prosecutor Jheong Siew Yin said Legha knew that the victim was intoxicated and it was "reasonably foreseeable" that the push would cause grievous hurt. She also pointed out that he fled the scene without helping the victim. The defence lawyer highlighted that no weapon was used, and the push was "a generic push" not intended to target vulnerable points, the Channel report said. For voluntarily causing hurt that resulted in grievous hurt, Legha could have been jailed for up to five years, fined up to SGD 10,000, or both, it added.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Indian youth in Singapore gets nearly 3 years in prison; pushed friend into river during drunken altercation, pleads guilty
Representative image Indian origin student Legha Pawan, was sentenced to 35 months in prison in Singapore on Wednesday for causing the death of a fellow Indian national by pushing him into a river while intoxicated. The 22 year old pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Jasbir Singh, a 33-year-old construction worker, on the night of June 30 last year. Singh, who was married with two young children in India, was the sole breadwinner for his family. A ccording to a report by Channel News Asia cited by PTI, the original charge of causing death by a rash act was reduced, and another charge was taken into consideration. The court heard that both men had been drinking on the night of the incident, which occurred at Clarke Quay, a popular riverside area in Singapore. After Singh was pushed into the river, a nearby couple raised the alarm. Rescue divers found his body a few hours later. Pawan fled the scene and attempted to avoid arrest, but he was caught the following morning. Deputy public prosecutor Jheong Siew Yin said Pawan knew Singh was intoxicated and that it was 'reasonably foreseeable' the push would cause serious harm. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gold Is Surging in 2025 — Smart Traders Are Already In IC Markets Learn More Undo She also noted that Pawan left without helping the victim. The defence lawyer argued that no weapon was involved and described the act as 'a generic push' without targeting any vulnerable part of the body, reported PTI. For voluntarily causing hurt resulting in grievous harm, Pawan could have faced a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to SGD 10,000, or both.
