SINGAPORE — A woman repeatedly abused her foreign domestic helper over about eight months, once telling her to punch herself 50 times to “remember the pain better”.

On another occasion, when Mun Sau Yeng told the maid to strike herself with a meat pounder until one of her teeth “dropped”, Mun ended up using the pounder on her after her teeth remained intact.

Mun, 40, pleaded guilty on Wednesday (March 18) to two counts of causing hurt to Ms Yuni Dwi Lestari and a third charge of causing hurt to the 25-year-old Indonesian national by dangerous means. 

Four other similar charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing on May 6. 

Mun, who was in court with her husband and children, remains out on bail.

Her lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan told the court that she suffered from major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder at the time, which “likely contributed significantly” to her impaired self-control.

According to a psychiatrist from the Institute of Mental Health, Mun heard an “inner voice” telling her to hit the maid.

In response, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Muhamad Imaduddien pointed out that there was no explanation as to how the mental disorders contributed to her impaired self-control.

There was no “objective evidence” on the inner voice, which was self-reported, and the psychiatrist had not assessed the severity of her depressive disorder either, the prosecutor added.

DPP Imaduddien is seeking one year and three months’ jail for Mun, while Mr Kalidass asked for a report to be called to assess her suitability for probation. 

Probation is usually offered to first-time offenders between 16 and 21 years old, and does not result in a recorded criminal conviction. Older offenders can get probation in exceptional circumstances.

District Judge Kan Shuk Weng told both sides to get further clarification from the psychiatrist, either through another report or by him coming to court.

‘I WANT YOUR TEETH TO DROP ONE!’

The court heard that Ms Yuni began working at Mun’s household in April 2018. 

Mun began abusing her two months later by hitting her shoulder once with a vacuum cleaner nozzle.

In November that year, Ms Yuni decided to eat a can of sardines for lunch. Mun grew angry as she had wanted the helper to have it for dinner instead.

Mun then punched her several times on her cheeks before telling her to punch herself about 50 times, as she would “remember the pain better” by doing so, DPP Imaduddien said.

Ms Yuni complied and Mun told her to tilt her head down for the rest of the day so her husband would not see the bruises on her cheeks. She also did not take the maid to a doctor.

On Feb 3 last year, Mun told Ms Yuni to clean some fingerprint marks off the kitchen windows. The next day, when she noticed that the marks were still there, she confronted Ms Yuni and shouted at her: “I want your teeth drop one (sic)!”

The helper pleaded for mercy, saying she would get her own parents to pay Mun so that her teeth would be spared. But Mun insisted that she wanted Ms Yuni’s teeth to break off or fall from her mouth. 

Mun told her to pull down her lower lip and hold it, then punch herself in the teeth. Ms Yuni did this for about 15 minutes and her lips began to swell.

At this point, Mun got the helper to retrieve a meat pounder from the kitchen drawer before forcing her to hit her own teeth with it. The helper did this about 50 times and three of her teeth came loose.

Mun then took the meat pounder, pulled down the maid’s lower lip and struck her once. One of the maid’s teeth chipped off from the impact.

She did not take Ms Yuni to a doctor, as she was afraid she would get into trouble.

‘PERVERSELY AND SADISTICALLY BULLIED’ MAID

A few days later, on Feb 7 last year, Mun told Ms Yuni over the phone that if she found dust around the house after returning home, she would “know what will happen”.

When Mun got back home, she discovered some dust and punched Ms Yuni’s mouth about 10 times. 

The helper’s lips began to bleed and her teeth started to loosen. Mun asked her to apply ointment to her injuries and did not take her to a doctor.

About a week later, Ms Yuni called the Centre for Domestic Employees, saying her employer had physically abused her. The police were then notified.

In asking for jail time, DPP Imaduddien described Mun as having “perversely and sadistically bullied” Ms Yuni by forcing the helper to hit herself with the meat pounder.

“This is a case of an offender who has acted in a calculated and deliberate manner, with full consciousness of the consequences of her conduct,” he added.

Mr Kalidass said in mitigation that Mun had a history of psychiatric problems. Among other issues, she thought life was meaningless, had “fleeting thoughts of suicide” and was so obsessed with cleaning that her relationship with her husband deteriorated.

Ms Yuni had not lived up to her “unusual standards” of cleanliness, the lawyer added.

Mun has also gone for treatment and “improved greatly”, he said.