SINGAPORE, Feb 11 — A 29-year-old Indonesian domestic worker was sentenced to six months in jail yesterday for ill-treating a four-month-old baby under her care by using the infant’s own arm to punch the child’s face multiple times.
According to CNA, the incident occurred on the afternoon of June 2, 2025. The court heard that the baby was crying, which frustrated the maid, Indah Komala Sari. She then grabbed the infant’s right arm and used it to strike the child’s face several times.
The abuse was witnessed live by the child’s mother, who was remotely viewing a feed from a baby monitor on her mobile phone. The mother returned home immediately and reported the incident to the police. Paramedics who attended to the scene did not observe any injuries on the baby.
During sentencing arguments, the prosecution sought a jail term of seven to 10 months, stating the victim was “utterly defenceless and extremely vulnerable.” They noted it was “entirely fortuitous” the mother had moved the camera to face the accused just before the offence.
Indah’s defence lawyer, Anand Nalachandran, sought a four-month sentence. He told the court his client had been exhausted from poor rest the night before, as the baby could not sleep, and she reacted in “desperation” when the infant could not be pacified the next day. He stated she was not excusing her conduct and understood the mistake has “altered the course of her life.”
Indah pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating a child under the Children and Young Persons Act. The offence carries a maximum penalty of up to eight years’ jail, a fine of up to S$8,000 (RM24,879), or both.
