SINGAPORE, Oct 30 — A 29-year-old Indonesian domestic helper has reportedly been sentenced to three years in jail for abusing a four-year-old autistic boy in her care, including punching him at least 23 times despite his attempts to protect himself.

According to Singapore’s CNA, the woman, whose identity cannot be disclosed to protect the victims, also kicked the boy’s head twice in a separate incident and recorded videos of her employer’s children naked.

The court reportedly heard that the boy was non-verbal and unable to alert his parents to the abuse, making him particularly vulnerable.

The woman, who began working for the family in January, also allegedly sprayed water directly into the face of the family’s one-year-old boy using a handheld shower head for 16 seconds, causing him to flinch and cry.

The abuse reportedly came to light in March when her employer discovered videos and photographs of the incidents, along with images of his naked children, on her phone.

Investigations subsequently uncovered four videos and two photographs showing the children naked in the toilet, with the woman having sent two videos and both photographs to her husband, CNA reported.

Prosecutors reportedly said the woman had acted out of exhaustion and frustration from caring for the autistic boy, but stressed that her circumstances did not justify the violence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamed Riasudeen sought between 35 and 41 months’ imprisonment, while defence lawyer Ariffin Sha argued for a sentence of two years and 10-and-a-half months, noting that she had apologised and previously requested a transfer from the household.

Both sides reportedly agreed that the recordings of the naked children were not made for sexual gratification, although prosecutors argued that her position as their caregiver aggravated the offences.

In sentencing her, District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz emphasised the serious breach of trust involved in abusing a child who could neither speak for himself nor seek help.

“Stress is not a license for violence nor is frustration an excuse for cruelty,” the judge said, adding that the sentence would have been considerably longer had there been evidence of physical injury.