The sentence for assault – not murder – against Prema Naraynasamy came six years after the disappearance of Piang Ngaih Don, a 24-year-old domestic worker. Due to the physical and psychological violence, the young woman, originally from Myanmar, had weighed 24 kilos. There is a widespread belief in the city-state that some nationalities have a greater willingness to submit.
Singapore () – Six years after the death of a 24-year-old domestic worker of Burmese origin, named Piang Ngaih Don, the sentence was issued against the woman, responsible for depriving her of food, torturing and segregating the young woman, and her daughter. The case has drawn the attention of the media and public opinion to the fate of thousands of domestic workers and caregivers who are victims of the stereotypes with which those, especially foreigners, are viewed and treated in Singapore. For example, some nationalities, including the Burmese, are believed to be more submissive.
Prema S. Naraynasamy, 64, was sentenced on January 9 for assault to 14 years in prison, computed from the date of her arrest on July 26, 2016, despite avoiding a murder charge. 41-year-old Gaiyathiri Naraynasamy, the legal employer of Piang Ngaih Don, a housewife and ex-wife of a police officer, was sentenced to 30 years in jail on June 22, 2021. Her ex-husband, who divorced Gaiyathiri in 2020 after being Suspended from his duties in 2016, he also must answer to various charges in connection with the case.
The investigations and trial have revealed circumstances which, as confirmed by Assistant Prosecutor Senthilkumaran Sabapathy, make it one of the worst cases of abuse against a foreign worker.
The brutality against the Burmese employee had begun in October 2015, shortly after she arrived, in a crescendo of physical and psychological attacks that led to her death. She was deprived of the possibility of eating and resting properly, she had been prevented from washing herself and she had been forced to always use the bathroom with the door open. She was subjected to beatings every day. “Dragged around the house like a rag doll,” the prosecution confirmed, her life was “little more than a wide-eyed nightmare and Prema is largely responsible for that.”
In the last 15 days of her life, Piang Ngaih Don had also been tied to a window grate in the woman’s bedroom and forced to sleep on the floor. At her death, caused by severe trauma to the neck, the young woman weighed 24 kilos, 15 less than she did when she was hired.
It is difficult to understand the reasons for such cruelty if it is not for a feeling of power and impunity, exacerbated by existing problems in the family. Piang Ngaih Don has also suffered from the misconceptions suffered by many foreigners who come to Singapore to work as domestic servants, allowing local families to pursue their careers and prosper. These workers have serious difficulties in asserting their rights, both in their country of origin and in the country of destination.
