SINGAPORE, July 12 — A hidden camera installed by a worried grandson exposed the repeated abuse of his 97-year-old grandfather by the family’s Indonesian caregiver, leading to her 18-month jail sentence.

Siti Nurhayati Marwi Animan, 40, admitted to physically abusing the wheelchair-bound man, who had dementia and relied entirely on her for daily care, after video recordings captured her repeatedly hitting, poking and assaulting him over several days in October last year, Singapore-based news outlet CNA reported.

“There were bruises weeks before the incident, which prompted the installation of the camera,” District Judge Arvindren R. was quoted as saying during sentencing last Friday.

The footage showed Siti striking the man on his head, face, stomach, arms and legs, poking his eyes, throwing him onto a sofa, hitting him with a feather duster and pulling on his genitals while he was unable to defend himself, CNA reported.

Prosecutors said the abuse only came to light because the victim’s grandson became suspicious after noticing fresh bruises on his grandfather almost every day, prompting him to install a hidden camera with a livestream function in the family's flat.

Over three consecutive days, the camera captured repeated assaults. 

The grandson testified in court that he recalled hearing his grandfather cry out in Teochew, “cannot beat me”, from another room.

The family reported the abuse to police in early November last year after showing the recordings to relatives and the grandfather’s doctor, who had earlier questioned whether his injuries were consistent with accidental falls.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicole Teo said the charges reflected only the abuse captured on camera and not what might have happened outside the recordings.

The victim’s dementia meant he was unable to accurately remember or report what had happened, making the abuse especially difficult to detect.

Siti initially denied assaulting her employer before admitting the offences after police confronted her with the video evidence.

She later told investigators she became tired and frustrated while caring for the elderly man and managing household chores, before apologising in court.

“I’m really really sorry,” Siti was quoted as saying after pleading guilty, adding that she regretted her actions and promised not to reoffend.

In sentencing, the judge said the victim’s advanced age, dementia and physical frailty, together with the sustained pattern of violence, made the offences particularly serious.