Singapore jails domestic helper for slapping, kicking special needs boy who was slowly getting ready for school

Feeling frustrated at her employer’s son for being slow in getting ready for school, a domestic worker dragged, slapped and kicked the eight-year-old who was a special-needs child.

Sakinah, a 25-year-old Indonesian, was sentenced to three weeks’ jail on Wednesday after pleading guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to the boy.

Sakinah had been a domestic worker in the boy’s household since June last year, taking care of her employer’s four children and doing household chores.

Her employer had told her that the victim, who has been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, had special needs and needed special attention.

Three of the children, including the eight-year-old boy, would be picked up on weekdays by a school bus at around 6.20am. Sakinah was responsible for getting them ready for school and making sure they boarded the school bus.

On January 31 this year at around 6.15am, Sakinah asked the victim and his two siblings to get ready before their bus arrived in five minutes.

The boy was playing with his crayons and robot in the house and was slow in putting on his shoes.

After Sakinah took the crayons and robot away, the boy began to shout and refused to wear his shoes, which made her frustrated because she felt that she was unable to manage the boy’s behaviour.

At around 6.20am, the boy and his two sisters were outside their home with Sakinah. The boy was lying on the floor with his back against the wall.

Sakinah walked over to the boy, who had put his arms over his face as she slapped him on his forearm with her hand.

She then bent down and continued to slap at the boy’s head and forearms, before flicking his right ear and slapping his head.

He continued to lie on the floor, kicking and thrashing around as he