Hidden camera exposes maid abusing 97-year-old employer

SINGAPORE – An Indonesian domestic helper was sentenced to 18 months' jail on Friday after pleading guilty to abusing her 97-year-old employer.

Based on a report by Channel News Asia, the accused, Siti Nurhayati Marwi Animan, 40, admitted to abusing the elderly man, who has dementia and depended on her for daily care.

Footage captured by a hidden camera showed Siti repeatedly striking the victim on the head, face, eyes, stomach, arms and legs.

She was also seen poking the elderly man's eyes, hitting him with a broom, pushing him onto a sofa and handling him roughly.

Siti broke down in tears after the abuse footage was played in court as evidence.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicole Teo sought a jail term of between 20 and 26 months, arguing that the charges covered only incidents that had been captured by the hidden camera.

She said the abuse was difficult to detect because the victim was unable to remember or report what had happened due to his condition.

According to court documents, Siti claimed she acted out of exhaustion and stress from caring for the elderly man while also managing household chores.

District Judge R. Arvindren said the victim's advanced age, frail health and the sustained pattern of violence against a vulnerable individual were aggravating factors in determining the sentence.

Siti was hired in 2019 to care for the victim and his wife, who died in 2023.

The family became increasingly suspicious after the victim's grandson moved into the house in October 2025 and noticed that his grandfather had fresh cuts and bruises almost every day.

The grandson then installed a hidden camera with a live-streaming function and witnessed the abuse firsthand.

The footage was later shown to other family members before they lodged a police report.

Doctors said the bruises found on the victim's body were inconsistent with injuries caused by falls, contrary to Siti's claims.

The domestic helper was arrested the same day and later charged in court.