Today-Aug 15
Migrant domestic workers in Singapore face “revenge accusations” by their employers, usually of theft, but they cannot work until the matter is resolved even if it is baseless, a report said. Published on Aug 15, the report explores how some employers use these accusations filed with police as punitive and retaliatory measures against the workers, almost invariably women. In some cases, the allegations are made after the migrant domestic worker leaves her job and the employer’s home, said the report by the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (Home). In most cases of these workers accused of crimes by their employer, no further action is taken by police, but their finances are impacted as they are not allowed to work while investigations are ongoing. Their families back home, reliant on their income, also suffer, it added. The report cited the high-profile case of maid Parti Liyani who was accused by her well-connected employer of theft, which led to criminal charges and a conviction before an appeal court cleared Ms Parti. In April, Karl Liew Kai Lung, the son of ex-Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong, was sentenced to two weeks’ jail for lying to a judge in the case. According to its website, Home provides direct assistance, shelter and food for domestic workers who experience abuse and exploitation, as well as employment advice, legal aid and various skills training. The report was based on casework data collected from 100 migrant domestic worker cases at Home’s shelter, who were accused of various crimes between January 2019 and June 2022. The report drew particular attention to the trend of “revenge accusations”. This refers to accusations directed at these workers by their former employers after they have terminated the workers’ employment and left their homes. In four out of five cases, no further action is taken against the worker as the claim is deemed to be baseless. The study found that 85 per cent of the accusations made against the workers after they arrive at the shelter are for theft, but only 18 per cent of all cases led to a criminal charge. Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/employers-revenge-accusations-maids-punish-leave-job-home-2233351
