SINGAPORE, Feb 15 — Tan Lee Hoon, 60, convicted of abusing two domestic helpers at her Sentosa Cove home in 2018, was cleared of the charges at the High Court here yesterday.
Tan had been convicted in December 2022 of seven charges of voluntarily causing hurt to the two maids, with one charge dropped, Singapore-based news agency Channel News Asia reported.
In January 2023, District Judge Salina Ishak sentenced Tan to 10 months’ jail and ordered her to pay compensation to each victim.
But High Court Judge Aidan Xu said the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt due to “substantial inconsistencies” in the evidence.
“Inconsistencies in testimony and recollection are to be expected…but there must be some core of evidence that convinces,” he was quoted as saying.
Tan, accompanied by family and friends, sobbed in relief after the verdict.
“I’ve always treated my domestic helpers well and wanted them to be happy.
“When these complaints were made, I could not understand why they had made these false allegations against me. I’m grateful that justice has finally prevailed,” she was quoted as saying.
According to the news agency, Tan’s husband employed Lizardo Joan Lozares in 2015 and Jenefer Vegafria Arangote in 2018 at their Sentosa Cove home.
Tan was originally found guilty of pinching Arangote’s arms, stomach, chest, and thigh in 2018, and hitting Lozares’ head and kicking her chest in separate incidents.
Xu overruled the district judge’s decision, noting that discrepancies in the evidence were central to the charges.
One example was Lozares’ inconsistent testimony about the timing of the alleged abuse, claiming it occurred on the same day but later stating it was over a week apart.
Xu said Lozares’ police statement was signed, indicating acceptance of the record, and found her explanation of the discrepancy insufficient.