SINGAPORE, Aug 19 — Upset with her domestic helper’s performance, Meenashi Sanjay Kumar Singh assaulted her at least three times in two months, slapping and striking her with a ruler.

The Indonesian helper fled after the last incident in 2018 to seek help from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Today, Meenashi, a 34-year-old Singaporean, was sentenced to four months’ jail for her acts.

She pleaded guilty to one count of causing hurt to Ms Sherly Medya, 30, with two other charges taken into consideration for sentencing.

Medya began working for Meenashi, her first employer in Singapore, in early September 2018. 

Shortly afterwards, Meenashi began abusing her.

In October that year, Meenashi slapped Medya’s cheeks, pulled her hand and pushed her chest, causing the maid’s head to hit the door of the master bedroom.

On November 15 and 16, 2018, Meenashi continued her assault.

On November 16, Medya had returned to the flat with Meenashi’s younger son, after taking her older son to school.

While Medya was in the kitchen, Meenashi told her to go to the living room, where she reprimanded the maid for failing to change the younger boy’s diapers. 

She told Medya to hand her a wooden ruler before hitting the maid at least 11 times on her arm and hand with it.

Meenashi then left the flat. A closed-circuit television camera installed in her living room captured the assault.

Later that day, at about 2pm, Medya decided to escape. She packed her belongings and sought help from MOM.

An MOM officer called the police at 6.45pm to report the case.

Medya received medical treatment at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital several hours later, where a doctor found several bruises on her jaw and knee, and abrasions on her lip.

She was given two days of medical leave. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Yeo sought the sentence imposed, arguing that Meenashi had inflicted both physical and psychological harm on Medya.

"The accused was treating the victim like a child — someone who needed to be disciplined — and not as an adult employee,” he said. 

"The accused’s behaviour clearly reinforced her position of authority over the victim. The victim could only respond by cowering from the accused, as the latter abused her.”

Meenashi’s lawyer, Ramesh Tiwary, told the court that her younger son is often sick with urinary and kidney problems.

Meenashi had stressed the importance of keeping him clean, and became angry when she noticed that his diapers and clothes were soiled, Tiwary said.

Meenashi will begin serving her sentence next Monday, as she has to attend a parent-teacher meeting for her older son on Friday.

The maximum penalty for causing hurt is two years’ jail and a fine of S$5,000 (RM15,316).

Employers or those in their household who hurt domestic helpers are liable to 1.5 times the punishment — raising the maximum penalty to three years’ jail and a fine of S$7,500. TODAY