Maid gets jail for abusing 97-year-old employer with dementia

SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic worker was sentenced to 18 months’ jail on Friday (Jul 10) for abusing her 97-year-old employer, who had dementia and depended on her for care.

Siti Nurhayati Marwi Animan hit her wheelchair-bound employer on his head, eyes, stomach, arms and legs on multiple occasions. She also poked his eyes, hit him with a feather duster, threw him on the sofa, and pulled and squeezed his genitals.

The 40-year-old Indonesian, who was unrepresented, cried in court on Friday as the prosecution played several short clips recorded by a hidden camera. It was installed by the victim’s grandson after he began suspecting that she was abusing his grandfather.

After pleading guilty to her crimes, she said: “I’m really really sorry.”

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicole Teo argued for 20 to 26 months’ jail for Siti. She noted that Siti’s charges covered only what was documented by the hidden camera and did not account for what may have happened off camera.

Hitting the old man’s face and other sensitive areas was a particularly aggravating factor, said Ms Teo.

The emotional distress he suffered cannot be understated, she argued, noting that it was clear from the footage that the old man suffered emotional harm on several occasions after the abuse.

From the clips played in court on Friday, the man could be seen clutching his face and frowning in some instances after Siti hit his face.

Her crimes were difficult to detect because of the victim’s physical and mental conditions, and might never have come to light if not for his grandson’s vigilance, Ms Teo added.

Siti also displayed a lack of remorse, she argued, noting that the maid had repeated her behaviour on several occasions and denied the abuse in her initial statement to the police.

According to court documents, Siti only admitted to the offences after she was confronted with video footage of the incidents.

She said she had hit the elderly man because she felt tired and frustrated at having to care for him while also managing the household chores.

In her mitigation plea, Siti, who has been in remand since her arrest, apologised for her actions and said she was aware of her mistakes.

As the sole breadwinner of her family who has worked overseas for the past 20 years, she pleaded for a lighter sentence and promised to change for the better.

“I promise I will not do it again,” she said, through the court interpreter.

In delivering his sentence of 18 months’ jail, District Judge Arvindren R agreed that the man’s vulnerability due to his old age and multiple medical conditions, as well as the “sustained pattern of violence” against a helpless victim, were aggravating factors.

Like the prosecution, he also noted that the charges related only to the instances of abuse captured by the hidden camera.

“There were bruises weeks before the incident, which prompted the installation of the camera,” the judge said.

For voluntarily causing hurt, an individual can be sentenced to up to three years’ jail, a fine of up to S$5,000 (US$3,870) or both. If the victim in question is a vulnerable person, like in this case, the court can sentence the offender to up to twice the maximum punishment.

DISCOVERED BY HIDDEN CAMERA

Siti was hired in 2019 to care for her employer and his wife, who died in 2023. The victim had multiple health problems, including mild psychological symptoms of dementia. He was also wheelchair-bound from late 2024.

His medical conditions meant he depended on her for care. Because of his dementia, he was forgetful and delusional, leaving him unable to accurately recall or report the abuse, the court heard.

In October 2025, the victim’s 38-year-old grandson moved into the unit where Siti and the victim lived.

After noticing new wounds and bruises appearing on his grandfather’s body daily, he asked the maid how the injuries came about. She replied that he fell, hit the wall or accidentally hurt himself while trying to move around.

Growing suspicious of Siti, the man’s grandson bought a hidden camera with a livestreaming function and installed it beside the TV, facing the sofa in the living room.

On Oct 30, 2025, the victim’s grandson left the house at about noon with the intention of monitoring the maid’s actions through the hidden camera.

Between 12.52pm and 3.02pm that day, Siti abused the old man numerous times by hitting his head and face, poking his face with her fingers, tilting him over the sofa and punching his stomach.

The grandson returned to the unit and asked her about the bruises on his grandfather’s face. Siti told the man’s grandson that the man might have fallen.

The victim’s grandson decided not to confront her with video footage because he wanted to continue monitoring the situation and gather more evidence against her.

Siti similarly abused the old man the next day and the following day, and her actions were caught on the hidden camera. On Oct 31, 2025, the man’s grandson called his aunt and told her that the maid had physically abused his grandfather.

Over those three days, while the man’s grandson was in his bedroom, he heard his grandfather shout “cannot beat me” in Teochew multiple times.

But when he checked on his grandfather, the latter would tell him that nothing had happened. Siti would also pretend to assure the old man, telling him to be good and not shout.

On Nov 1, 2025, the man’s grandson met his aunt to show her the video footage.

The next day, they shared the footage with more family members, and the grandson’s father mentioned that the old man’s doctor had previously asked about his bruises during medical checkups.

The doctor had said the bruises were not consistent with injuries from a fall as Siti claimed, he said.

The family then decided to make a police report. The maid was arrested that same day.

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