Rotting Eye
05-01-2004, 10:36 PM
SINGAPORE -- A Singapore woman has confessed in court to biting her teenaged maid's nipple until it fell off, local media reports said.
The woman, a customer relations officer, pleaded guilty to 10 charges of assault which also included allegations of splashing boiling water on her maid, poking her thighs with a pair of scissors and forcing her to touch a hot oven tray, the Straits Times reported on Tuesday.
The court heard that the woman, identified as Jennicia Chow Yen Ping, 30, repeatedly bit the maid's breasts and nipples -- either through a t-shirt or on bare skin until one nipple fell off.
A Singapore court judge heard that the 19-year-old maid was allegedly subjected to "severe bodily abuse" over a 20 day period last September, the Times reported. The case was adjourned until later this month so the defendant can undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
The prosecuting lawyer said that in one incident, the defendant tried to scratch the maid's face with a knife for not asking Chow what she wanted for breakfast.
Chow's defense lawyer said his client was suffering from a chronic depressive disorder following the birth of her daughter.
Chow also suffered neck and back pain and had been treated for her complaints over 80 times in the past five years, the lawyer added.
The case comes as Singapore media and community welfare groups have been expressing concern over the mistreatment of domestic workers.
There are about 140,000 foreign domestic workers in the wealthy city-state and reports of abuse have been climbing in recent years.
People found guilty of physically abusing maid can face prison sentences of more than seven years.
The woman, a customer relations officer, pleaded guilty to 10 charges of assault which also included allegations of splashing boiling water on her maid, poking her thighs with a pair of scissors and forcing her to touch a hot oven tray, the Straits Times reported on Tuesday.
The court heard that the woman, identified as Jennicia Chow Yen Ping, 30, repeatedly bit the maid's breasts and nipples -- either through a t-shirt or on bare skin until one nipple fell off.
A Singapore court judge heard that the 19-year-old maid was allegedly subjected to "severe bodily abuse" over a 20 day period last September, the Times reported. The case was adjourned until later this month so the defendant can undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
The prosecuting lawyer said that in one incident, the defendant tried to scratch the maid's face with a knife for not asking Chow what she wanted for breakfast.
Chow's defense lawyer said his client was suffering from a chronic depressive disorder following the birth of her daughter.
Chow also suffered neck and back pain and had been treated for her complaints over 80 times in the past five years, the lawyer added.
The case comes as Singapore media and community welfare groups have been expressing concern over the mistreatment of domestic workers.
There are about 140,000 foreign domestic workers in the wealthy city-state and reports of abuse have been climbing in recent years.
People found guilty of physically abusing maid can face prison sentences of more than seven years.