Employer Forces Maid To Strip Down, Shower In Front Of Her; Gets Jail Time

A 33-year-old Singaporean housewife who forced her maid to strip and shower in front of her was sentenced to 15 months and two weeks in jail Tuesday after she was found guilty of several counts of abuse last month.

Apart from the jail sentence, Rosdiana Abdul Rahim was also ordered to pay S$2,500 ($1,840) in compensation to her Indonesian domestic helper, Mayang Sari, local newspaper Today reported. The mother of twins will receive an additional 11 days in prison should she be unable to pay the amount.

Rosdiana was found guilty last month of six counts of abuse toward Sari, which included insulting the then-21-year-old maid's modesty, using criminal force by pushing her into the shower and causing hurt to her eyes by putting powder on her face, a report by Yahoo News said.

She was also found guilty of threatening to harm Sari’s family, pinching and kicking the maid’s genitals and failing to give her adequate rest when she worked for her in 2017.

Rosdiana was acquitted of a seventh charge — pulling Sari's shirt and bra — as the judge was not satisfied that the prosecution had proven this beyond reasonable doubt, The Straits Times reported.

Sari worked at Rosdiana's home from Sept. 29 to Dec. 12 in 2017 before she was sent back to a maid agency, according to the Yahoo News report. She was not given any days off and was required to go to the home of Rosdiana's mother almost daily to care for her employer's now-9-year-old kids while the children’s parents were at work.

The situation had forced Sari to sleep at irregular and late hours and wake up between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. She was also forbidden from taking naps during the day and later on was forced to sleep on the carpet in the children's room.

Rosdiana reportedly also made Sari sleep on the floor outside the common toilet, but the maid chose to sleep underneath the cupboard in the living room instead without being given any blanket or pillow.

In one instance, Rosdiana forced Sari to shower in front of her in November 2017 after claiming the maid was "smelly" and that her towel had an odor as well, according to The Straits Times. Sari was then told to change inside the master bedroom, where the windows were open.

"The victim recalled seeing people outside the windows and was concerned they would be able to see her," Deputy Public Prosecutor Angela Ang was quoted as saying by the outlet.

Rosdiana also poured baby powder all over Sari's face until her eyes hurt in December of that year. The mother then reportedly told Sari that her family would "no longer be around" when she returned to Indonesia if she removed the powder from her face.

Rosdiana threatened to harm Sari's family again following the incident.

The mother also reportedly pinched the Sari on the right breast before kicking the maid twice in the crotch.

Rosdiana later pushed a cupboard door on Sari's arm while the helper was retrieving a fresh set of clothes from a compartment.

Authorities reportedly learned of the abuses after Rosdiana's husband took Sari back to her agency in December 2017, and the maid filed a police report.

Rosdiana did not compensate Sari for the latter's two months and 15 days of service despite having agreed to give her a salary of S$600 ($440) a month, as per Today.

Prosecutors had urged the court to sentence Rosdiana to 28 months in jail, describing the acts of abuse toward the domestic helper as "demeaning" and "degrading."

Rosdiana is out on S$10,000 ($7,350) bail pending an appeal against both her conviction and sentence, according to Yahoo News.