• The girl suffered second-degree burns from the incident
• Lin Lin Htwe initially lied to her employers that the infant’s hand accidentally touched the pot
• Her lawyer read out a letter where she apologised and said she did not intend to harm the victim

SINGAPORE — After just two weeks with her employers, she wanted a transfer as she did not know how to take care of a 16-month-old, but continued working for the household after learning that a transfer would cost money.

While cooking one afternoon, Lin Lin Htwe dipped the baby’s hand into a pot of hot water, then told her employers it was an accident.

On Wednesday (Oct 28), the 30-year-old Myanmar national was sentenced to one year and two months’ jail for her actions. 

She had pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to the girl by means of heated substance.

WHAT HAPPENED

On Jan 14 this year, Lin Lin Htwe was cooking chicken curry when the baby started crying.

She brought the girl to the kitchen and carried her while cooking. 

The girl’s eight-year-old sister was the only other person in the flat.

Lin Lin Htwe then “felt agitated” and moved the girl’s hand towards a pot on the stove containing hot water, causing her hand to “come into contact with the pot and hot water two to three times”, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jane Lim told the court.

The baby screamed and cried. 

Her sister came over and Lin Lin Htwe told her that the victim had put her hand into the pot when she was carrying her.

The older girl then called her father and he told her to apply aloe vera and toothpaste on the wounds.

When he returned home shortly afterwards, he was shocked to see the extent of his daughter’s injuries. He took her to a clinic and was subsequently referred to the accident and emergency department of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

The girl suffered second-degree burns on her hand. A doctor also noted that she will have a burn scar that may still be visible after two years, but that her fingers or forearm would likely not be impaired.

When her parents first questioned Lin Lin Htwe about the injuries, she maintained her story that it had been an accident.

The next day, Lin Lin Htwe said she wanted to go home or switch employers.

The couple then viewed CCTV footage and saw the maid  dipping their daughter’s hand into the pot. They confronted her and called the police.

The girl’s mother eventually put the 46-second footage on Facebook.

‘CLEARLY RED, SWOLLEN AND PAINFUL’

DPP Lim sought at least 16 months' jail, saying that photographs showed the girl’s burns were “clearly red, swollen and painful”. Blisters had formed on her fingers and forearm, which healed over 10 days.

The maid’s lawyer, Ms Lolita Andrew, said in mitigation that Lin Lin Htwe had come to Singapore “with much financial burden”.

She was made to work seven days a week and had no outlet to express her frustration, as she was not allowed to have a mobile phone. Her agent had also refused to transfer her to another employer.

After realising she had hurt the girl, she felt remorseful and put the girl’s hand under running tap water, as shown in the CCTV footage, the lawyer added.

The lawyer also read out a letter from Lin Lin Htwe: “I’m very sorry for the incident, I did not intend to harm or hurt the toddler I was looking after for over a month.

“However, due to pressure… I did this mistake… I have been feeling terrible all this time.

“I also want to apologise to the parents. I am so sorry and hopefully one day, they will be able to forgive me.”

For causing hurt by a heated substance, she could have been jailed up to seven years or fined, or both. While the offence carries the possibility of caning, women cannot be caned under Singapore law.