Myanmar maid's death: MOM reviewing how doctors report potential abuse

SINGAPORE: The Manpower Ministry (MOM) is reviewing the reporting system for medical doctors who conduct the necessary six-monthly examinations for overseas home staff, after the dying of a helper from Myanmar in a harrowing case of maid abuse.

Ms Piang Ngaih Don, 24, was punched, stamped on and starved by her employer till she weighed 24kg days earlier than she died in 2016 from a mind harm. She was a few yr into her first job in Singapore.  

Employer Gaiyathiri Murugayan, 40, pleaded responsible on Tuesday (Feb 23) to twenty-eight expenses, together with culpable murder, voluntarily inflicting grievous damage by hunger, voluntarily inflicting damage by a heated substance and wrongful restraint. One other 87 expenses might be thought of in sentencing.

The prosecution is searching for life imprisonment. The choose has adjourned sentencing to a later date.

READ: Girl admits killing maid; starved her to 24kg and assaulted her virtually every day in 'completely inhumane' case

MOM stated on Wednesday that Ms Piang Ngaih Don attended and handed her first medical examination on Jan 19, 2016. She visited the identical physician in Could for a runny nostril, cough and swelling on her legs.

“Nothing adverse was flagged to the authorities’ attention on either occasion,” MOM stated.

The clinic was recognized in court docket paperwork as Bishan Grace Clinic.

The court docket heard that the physician had seen bruises across the maid's eye sockets and cheeks, however Gaiyathiri claimed that the sufferer fell down continuously as she was clumsy.

Gaiyathiri turned down the physician's ideas for additional exams on the sufferer's swollen legs in case of underlying situations.

Ms Piang Ngaih Don died in July, two months after her final go to to the physician.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo instructed reporters on Thursday that MOM is reviewing how medical doctors report these medical examinations, declaring that almost all employers adjust to the requirement of getting their maids go for the check-up.

“Doctors also have a duty to report to the police or MOM if they are detecting signs of abuse or distress,” she stated. “We have made this point explicit in 2017, and we will have to further strengthen this.”

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When requested on Thursday if the physician in Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s case had breached guidelines or would face penalties, Legislation and House Affairs Minister Ok Shanmugam didn't remark, with Mrs Teo saying that the matter is earlier than the courts.

When requested if this case confirmed a lapse in reporting process by medical doctors, Mrs Teo stated she was not in a position to touch upon medical doctors’ “level of responsibility”. “That is something that the Ministry of Health would have to look into,” she stated.

READ: Myanmar maid's dying: Employment agent spoke to helper on 2 events however didn't choose up any points, says MOM

Mrs Teo stated the evaluation of the reporting system for medical doctors has been ongoing, including that MOM must take a look at the “whole spectrum” of points.

This consists of reviewing how neighborhood and associate organisations can higher and extra shortly establish indicators of misery in maids, and the way it can enhance safeguards towards abusive employers, she stated.

Mrs Teo stated on Wednesday that MOM’s evaluation will proceed even because the case is tried in court docket. It would look into areas like the edge for blacklisting errant employers and bettering measures to detect abuse.

MOM additionally stated earlier that Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s employment agent had spoken to her twice throughout her first six months of employment, however didn't choose up any points.

When requested on Thursday how a lot duty the agent has to absorb this case, Mrs Teo stated maid businesses are subjected to licensing situations and a system of demerit factors if they don't meet obligations.

“I don't want to comment too much on this particular case, except to restate what was carried in our statement,” she stated.

“The employment agent was in contact with the helper on two occasions, at least. And at the time, he did not detect anything that was indicative of distress. So these are the facts that are known right now.”

MOM additionally stated on Wednesday it'll intensify efforts to succeed in out to and interview all new overseas home staff.

When requested if this is able to imply interviews at employers’ houses, Mrs Teo stated MOM will discover a variety of choices.

“But the important point is this: Where we are starting from is the safety of the foreign domestic workers,” she stated.

“If there are areas where we can improve on to strengthen the support to the foreign domestic workers, we will do so. So we are taking on board all suggestions that have been surfaced to our attention. We are looking at what are the ways in which we can do this.”

EMPLOYER’S CONDUCT “SHOCKING”

Recounting how Ms Piang Ngaih Don was abused, Mr Shanmugam stated the “bestiality” of Gaiyathiri’s conduct was “shocking”.

“Ordinary people are capable of extreme evil, and evil lurks in people who seem ordinary,” he stated.

“There are two pillars in any society to keep evil in check: One is education. Two, we need rule of law that keeps such evil in check. The law has to come down with full force when the rules are broken.”

READ: Husband of maid killer suspended from police drive since 2016, accused of abusing sufferer and eradicating CCTV

Gaiyathiri’s husband and mom additionally face expenses within the case. The husband, a police officer, has been suspended from his job since 2016 and can face an inner police disciplinary continuing whatever the end result of his case, Mr Shanmugam stated.

On why Gaiyathiri's case took a while to be addressed in court docket, Mr Shanmugam stated it's a advanced murder case involving numerous offences.

"Lots of CCTV footage were looked at in formulating the charges. There were numerous psychiatric assessments undertaken by different experts from IMH (Institute of Mental Health) as well as experts engaged by the defence in order to assess the mental state of Madam Gaiyathiri at the times of the offence," he defined.

"Psychiatric assessments took considerable time. They were only completed in April 2020."

Mr Shanmugam stated Gaiyathiri was initially charged with homicide following a advice by the Legal professional-Basic, however this was introduced all the way down to culpable murder as a result of proof that surfaced.

"Normally, it is not easy in such cases because there is no independent evidence," he added.

"The foreign domestic worker has passed away. And, you will only have the word of the people who are accused or related family members," stated Mr Shanmugam.

"Nevertheless, because of the very thorough work that was undertaken and the availability of the CCTV cameras, the evidence that was put forward, and the assessment of the psychiatric evidence, both prosecution and defence, Madam Gaiyathiri decided to plead guilty to a charge of culpable homicide."

Mrs Teo stated “there is simply no place” for abuse towards overseas home staff in Singapore.

“The Singapore Government takes very seriously the safety of all of our foreign domestic workers who are here,” she said.

“There are safeguards in place, but we must do better to prevent such an egregious incident from ever happening again.”