Mum who was given police warning for hurting maid shares video of maid being 'rough' with kids

A woman was given a warning by police on Jan 13 for causing hurt against her Myanmarese maid in her Block 638A Punggol Drive flat on Sept 11 last year.

The woman, Ms How, said she was only trying to protect her kids from the maid.

She told Stomp: "The maid's main job was housework and to take care of my baby. There was another helper assisting her for more than two months."

A language barrier led to communication problems.

"This incident happened three weeks after my old maid went back. I assumed that the new maid did not understand what we said to her," said Ms How.

It started with an argument over the baby's feeding time, according to Shin Min Daily News.

"I complained to the agency," said Ms How, who had four children, the youngest of which was three months old.

"The agency then called the maid to understand the situation. But when the maid was speaking to the agency, she became louder and louder, frightening the children. I asked her to keep her voice down, but she kept yelling until I couldn't bear it. So I took away her phone and asked her to go outside the flat.”

This led to a tussle for the phone. Ms How said that the maid slapped her first. When the maid rushed to the living room, Ms How was afraid her children would be hurt and so she grabbed the maid's hand.

As the two fought, the maid's hand hit one of the children, said Ms How. So the mother punched and kicked the maid.

"The maid also reached out to grab the cot of my three-month-old son twice. I pulled her hair to stop her and I was scratched.

"I then called the police and the maid fled the home but returned later."

The altercation was recorded on the home's CCTV.

In response to a Stomp query, the police said: "The police, in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, have administered a 12-month conditional warning to a 27-year-old woman on Jan 13 for her involvement in a case of voluntarily causing hurt against a domestic worker under Section 323 read with 73(1) of the Penal Code 1871."

Ms How told Shin Min Daily News that she got the police warning for trying to protect her child.

"As a mother, it is impossible for me to watch my child being beaten and do nothing."

She said that the maid also received an advisory from the police but would not have a criminal record. "My concern is that she continues to work for other families."

Ms How shared with Stomp a video from August last year where she said the maid was "rough" with her children in their bedroom.

In the video, the maid can be seen pulling a boy up by both arms. After she let go, the boy fell back on a box of toys on the bed, causing him to cry. The maid then tried to comfort the boy.