Cleaning supervisor on trial for splashing water with cleaning chemical on deaf, mute woman's face
The alleged victim is said to have suffered a chemical injury to her corneas.
Priya Ramasantheran arrives at the State Courts on Dec 3, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
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SINGAPORE: A cleaning supervisor allegedly splashed her subordinate's face with water containing cleaning chemicals.
The subordinate, who is deaf and mute, purportedly suffered a chemical injury to her corneas in both eyes.
The supervisor, Priya Ramasantheran, 36, is facing three charges of voluntarily causing hurt to the alleged victim, who is considered a vulnerable person.
She has claimed trial and on Wednesday (Dec 3), the court heard testimony from a colleague of Ramasantheran's who witnessed the incident.
The water-splashing incident allegedly took place at about 2.30pm on Jul 19, 2024 inside a lift in Dulwich College.
The court heard that the woman later reported the incident to her manager at the end of her shift at around 4pm. Her son then made a police report.
In closed-circuit television footage played in court, Ramasantheran, the alleged victim, the witness and two other workers were seen pushing a cleaning cart out of the lift after the purported incident, with the alleged victim looking agitated.
The witness testified that after entering the lift, Ramasantheran spoke Tamil to another colleague in the lift, and then suddenly splashed the water on the alleged victim.
She said she did not know if there had been an argument between Ramasantheran and the alleged victim that day.
She also said that because the alleged victim was "special" due to her disabilities, the other cleaners did not pressure her to finish tasks and would let her follow them and do things at her own pace.
The other two charges relate to incidents that allegedly took place about six months earlier at the same school premises.
On or before Jan 26, 2024, Ramasantheran also allegedly grabbed and held the woman by the back of her neck, causing pain.
In January 2024, she is also said to have grabbed the woman's shoulder, causing pain.
The trial continues. The penalty for voluntarily causing hurt is jail for up to three years, a fine of up to S$5,000 or both.
If the victim is a vulnerable person, the maximum penalty is doubled.
