Man gets 14 months for molesting domestic worker and punching wife
SINGAPORE: A domestic worker used her mobile phone to record her employer's father molesting her, after he became increasingly daring and aggressive in his actions, a court heard.
Shortly after the 29-year-old Indonesian maid began working for her employer in November 2014, Tan Seng Chuan, a dishwasher, began to touch and hug her inappropriately.
He would also tell her that he wanted to have sex with her. She did not like what he was doing and always rejected him.
When she told members of the family about what he did, they told her to ignore him.
But when she felt that Tan had gone too far, she decided to get proof of his actions.
She set her mobile phone on recording mode inside the kitchen and left it there.
On Oct 27, Tan approached her from behind in the kitchen and groped her repeatedly. He also tried to pull down her shorts and panties, and molested her.
She resisted and tried to push him away. He finally stopped when he heard his 55-year-old wife, who is wheelchair-bound, calling him.
Later, the maid showed the clip to Tan's wife, who told her son about it. They were angry but decided to give him a chance.
Later that night, Tan's son confronted him about the incident but Tan vehemently denied it.
The next day, Tan quarrelled with his wife when they were talking about what had happened the previous night. Tan punched his wife's head and shoulder.
That evening, Tan went to the maid's bedroom. Sensing that he was up to no good again, she turned on her cell phone to video recording mode.
He asked her if she had mentioned anything to his son. Feeling scared, she denied it. He then lowered his body and touched her thigh.
She shouted: "Auntie!" Tan left the room and got into another physical altercation with his wife. Tan's son called the police.
In mitigation, Tan's lawyer Gino Hardial Singh said his client was remorseful and realised that his actions were reprehensible. He promised that upon his release from prison, he would devote his life to caring for his wife and would be a good husband. Tan has forgiven him.
Counsel said Tan's judgment was "clouded by lust and sexual frustration", and his behaviour had been "completely out of character".
Tan, who had pleaded guilty to the three charges earlier this month, was sentenced to 14 months' jail, which was deferred to Sept 7.
He could have been jailed for up to three years and fined for molestation; and up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000 (RM14, 924) for causing hurt. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
