SINGAPORE: A foreign domestic worker was sentenced to six months’ jail on Tuesday (Feb 10) for using a four-month-old baby’s arm to punch the child’s face multiple times.
The defence lawyer for Indonesian national Indah Komala Sari, 29, said the woman had been exhausted from poor rest the night before as the baby could not sleep and reacted in “desperation”.
Indah pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating a child under the Children and Young Persons Act.
The court heard that Indah started work for the family in mid-May 2025. Caring for the four-month-old baby was one of her duties.
At about 3.30pm on Jun 2, 2025, Indah was carrying the victim in her arms in the family’s home.
The victim’s grandparents were also in the residence, while the victim’s mother was out and streaming footage from a baby monitor in the home to her mobile phone.
The baby was crying, which frustrated Indah. She grabbed the girl’s right arm and used it to punch the baby’s face multiple times.
The child’s mother witnessed the acts in the footage she was livestreaming.
After Indah hit the baby, she noticed that she was being observed through the baby monitor and quickly carried the child away.
The baby’s mother returned home immediately and called the police. Paramedics at the scene did not observe any injuries on the baby.
Indah was arrested that same day and was later charged in court.
SENTENCING ARGUMENTS
The prosecutor sought seven to 10 months’ jail, saying the baby was utterly defenceless and extremely vulnerable.
He said Indah had offended while thinking it would not be detected, as the baby monitor’s camera was initially facing an empty cot.
“It was entirely fortuitous that the victim’s mother moved the video camera to face the accused, right before she committed the offences, such that the offences could be witnessed,” he said.
Indah’s lawyer, Mr Anand Nalachandran from Forte Law, sought four months’ jail.
He said Indah was “in no way seeking to excuse her conduct”.
He said Indah had been working in Singapore for six years prior to the incident and had gone to this new employer’s home “fully intending to do her job”.
“Unfortunately, this incident occurred about two weeks after she started,” said Mr Anand.
He said the night before the incident, the baby was unfortunately unable to sleep, and this affected Indah’s rest.
“The following day, despite her efforts, the baby could not be pacified,” said Mr Anand. “That is why, in her exhaustion and desperation, she reacted. She makes no excuses and blames no one for her mistake.”
He added that this mistake has “altered the course of her life”, and she understands that she will be repatriated.
For ill-treating a child under her care, she could have been jailed for up to eight years, fined up to S$8,000, or both.