A mother who swung a kettle at her 15-year-old daughter, leaving her with burns and blisters, has been sentenced to three weeks’ jail in on Wednesday.
The 42-year-old woman, who cannot be named due to gag orders, had pleaded guilty previously to one count of causing hurt by a rash act endangering personal safety, according to Channel News Asia.
The incident took place on Dec 24, 2021, when the victim slept over at her friend’s house despite her mother’s objections. Upon returning home at about 7pm the next day, the teenager proceeded to lock her bedroom door. However, her mother managed to open the bedroom window and screamed at her.
The woman scolded the victim and threw shoes at her, but the girl ignored her. The victim did not leave her room on Dec 24 and woke up at about 3pm the following day.
An hour later, her mother asked her to help do chores in the kitchen.
As the victim was washing some pans in the sink, her mother stood by and scolded her for staying out late. The victim explained that she had been at a friend’s house and had a meal there, which angered her mother. In response, the mother swung a kettle filled with boiling water at her daughter, causing first and second-degree burns on various parts of her body.
The victim suffered first and second-degree burns over her body, including her chin, neck, shoulders, and chest. She also had blisters over her neck and shoulder. She was admitted to the hospital from Dec 26, 2021 to Jan 5, 2022, and her wounds were noted to have healed on Jan 4, 2022, according to CNA.
At the sentencing, the Deputy Public Prosecutor sought between three and four weeks’ jail for the woman, saying that the injuries were serious. The woman knew that the water was hot, and there was steam rising from the kettle. The woman also breached her duty of care towards the victim, who was her daughter, said the prosecutor.
The District Judge Kessler Soh told the woman that she had acted very rashly by swinging the kettle at her daughter. He said, “These were not minor injuries, and I’m not able to accept the submission of (defence) counsel for probation or a fine. I hope you remember this and never commit such an act again against your daughter or anyone else.”
The penalties for causing hurt by a rash act endangering personal safety are a jail term of up to a year, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both. The woman intends to appeal against the sentence.
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