Domestic helper jailed 12 weeks for abusing 85-year-old woman with severe stage dementia

SINGAPORE: A domestic helper abused an elderly woman who suffered from severe stage dementia, inflicting violence on the helpless 85-year-old while feeding her. 

Indonesian Indah Nur Wahyuni, was jailed for 12 weeks on Tuesday (Sep 12) after she pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt to a vulnerable adult. Another charge of a similar nature was considered for her sentencing. 

The victim had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in February 2008 and confirmed to be suffering from severe stage dementia in October 2022. She is non-communicative and completely dependent on her daughter. 

Indah, 35, was employed by the victim's daughter in January 2023 to care for the victim. The helper had previously received training from her maid agency on how to care for the elderly and young children.

On Mar 8 this year, the employer noticed bruises on her mother's hand. She confronted Indah, who denied assaulting the victim. 

After the employer said she would send her mother for a medical checkup, Indah admitted to hitting the victim's hand. The employer then told Indah to apply ointment to the victim's bruises. 

The employer remain unsatisfied with Indah's explanations and reviewed closed-circuit television footage. She was "traumatised" by what she saw, according to the prosecution.

CCTV footage from Mar 6 this year, depicting Indah feeding the victim in the flat's kitchen, was played in court. 

For about 10 minutes, Indah is seen handling the victim roughly as the elderly woman sits bowed mutely and mostly immobile over the dining table. 

The helper is seen shaking the victim's bicep, hitting her back, pushing a hot cup towards the victim's face, pushing her head downwards and backwards. Indah also shakes the woman's hand forcefully, tilts her head upwards, and hits her hand. Only once does the victim try to hit Indah's left arm or thigh area, but the accused grabs the victim’s right hand and hits the other hand. 

The victim can be heard expressing incoherent sounds of discomfort at times from the rough handling. 

CCTV footage from Mar 7 this year also revealed Indah pushing the victim's forehead with her right hand. 

After viewing the footage, the employer contacted Indah's agent immediately and sent over a copy of the footage. She told the agent that she no longer wished to employ Indah, Assistant Public Prosecutor Lydia Goh told the court. 

On Mar 9, the agent brought Indah back to the agency and her employer made a police report. 

The victim was brought for a medical examination and found with bruises on her left hand. 

Indah was arrested on Aug 29 and admitted to the actions caught on video. 

"Further, at that material time, the accused knew that the victim is a vulnerable person as the latter was unable to speak or protect herself from abuse," Ms Goh said.

"The accused also stated that she was treated well by her employer and did not provide any reason during investigations as to why she assaulted the victim."

When asked for her mitigation, Indah had nothing to say. 

District Judge Prem Raj noted that the victim had been a "good 50 years older" than the accused and was helpless. 

By the time of the offences, the victim had been diaper-dependent, and completely reliant on her daughter for her care, the judge noted. 

There was a "clear breach of trust" in the case, he added. 

The judge said that just as the law "must come down hard" on those who abuse domestic helpers, the same must apply to domestic helpers who abuse their charges. 

The judge also took into account Indah's early plea of guilt. 

"I must say that but for her early plea of guilt, I would have imposed a higher sentence," he said.