Yahoo News in Singapore recently reported that a domestic maid will be charged with murder…
“…after a 77-year-old woman was found dead in her Tampines flat on Monday (13 Feburary).
She will be charged in court on Wednesday (15 February). If convicted, she faces the death penalty.
The victim was found motionless with injuries on her throat in her fifth floor unit at Block 276 Tampines Street 22 at 2.10pm by police, who were responding to a call for assistance. She was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.
According to media reports, an Indonesian maid was at home when the victim was found dead. The maid was crying and shouting, and a neighbour helped her to call the police.”
Source: Yahoo News Singapore
Sadly, abuse of privilege (of being in someone’s home) can occur particularly at both ends of the age spectrum, where the most vulnerable in our populations are found – children, and the elderly.
In this case, whilst the article gives no details, in order for the maid to have been charged, the Court must have found, “beyond reasonable doubt” that she caused the death.
Did the maid have any kind of criminal background, that so often is a tell-tale sign of such a pre-disposition? Were any criminal background checks ever made? Were ANY kind of background, experience or reference checks made. We will never know, but this case serves as a salutory warning that even in the seemingly basic processes of hiring a home-help employee, we cannot be complacent in going to reasonable measures to check backgrounds.
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