Woman jailed in Singapore after niece catches sight of bloodied domestic helper during family visit

SINGAPORE, June 25 — A routine family visit ended up exposing months of abuse after a woman discovered her aunt’s domestic helper bleeding, leading to a police investigation that has now landed the employer behind bars.

According to The Straits Times, 67-year-old Hazel Phang Fong Yen was sentenced to four months’ jail yesterday after pleading guilty to repeatedly assaulting her 27-year-old Myanmar domestic helper over household chores she deemed unsatisfactory.

The court also ordered Phang to pay S$4,440 (RM14,000) in compensation. If she fails to do so, she will serve an additional four weeks in jail.

The abuse only came to light in October 2022 when Phang’s niece visited the family’s Potong Pasir flat and noticed the helper was bleeding. Alarmed by her injuries, the niece informed her father, who took the woman to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Medical examinations found the helper had suffered blunt trauma to one eye, bruising to her face and multiple abrasions on her face and chest.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Melissa Heng told the court that the victim had begun working for Phang in August 2022.

Just weeks later, the employer allegedly started assaulting her over minor mistakes.

In one incident, Phang slapped the helper after she forgot to check the expiry date on a food item despite completing another task she had been assigned.

She later slapped her again after becoming upset that the helper had failed to hear a request from Phang’s elderly mother.

The violence escalated over other household chores.

When the helper cleaned soap bottles by spraying them with water instead of using Phang’s preferred method, the employer punched her in the eye.

On another occasion, Phang scratched the helper’s neck and chest until she bled after criticising the way she had hung heavy bedsheets out to dry.

Court documents also detailed an incident on Oct 15, 2022, when Phang became angry because some plants had not been watered. She scratched the helper’s face several times, drawing blood.

Following her hospital visit, the helper moved in with Phang’s relatives.

The abuse was formally reported weeks later after staff from Singapore’s Centre for Domestic Employees contacted the victim during a routine welfare check. She disclosed that her employer had assaulted her, prompting the organisation to alert the police.

Phang was eventually arrested on Sept 9, 2025, although court documents did not explain the nearly three-year gap between the reported offences and her arrest.

Under Singapore law, those convicted of assaulting a domestic worker can face up to six years in prison, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both.