SINGAPORE: A woman who swung a kettle at her 15-year-old daughter for not returning home on time, leaving her with burns and blisters, was sentenced to three weeks’ jail on Wednesday (Apr 26).
The 42-year-old woman intends to appeal against the sentence. She cannot be named due to gag orders preventing the publication of her identity and her daughter’s identity.
The woman pleaded guilty previously to one count of causing hurt by a rash act endangering personal safety.
The victim slept over at her friend’s house despite her mother’s objections on Dec 22, 2021.
When the teenager returned home at about 7pm the next day, she 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, 2021. She woke up at about 3pm the following day. An hour later, her mother asked her to help do chores in the kitchen.
The victim went to the kitchen and washed some dishes. Her mother later asked her to boil water in the electric kettle, and the teen complied.
While the victim was washing some pans in the sink, her mother stood next to her and scolded her for staying out late.
The victim said that she was at a female friend’s house and had a meal there.
Her mother grew angry at this response and grabbed the kettle, which was full of boiling water. She swung the kettle at her daughter, causing the hot water to splash onto the victim.
Shocked, the crying teen ran into the toilet to rinse her body. Her mother continued to scold her, and the girl called her grandparents before going to their house.
The grandparents helped to apply cream on her burns. However, the redness on the girl’s face, neck and chest did not subside and when blisters appeared, they took her to the hospital.
Both Child Protective Services and the police were notified.
The girl 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. Her wounds were noted to have healed on Jan 4, 2022.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kathy Chu 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 Ms Chu.
However, she noted that the woman had pleaded guilty and paid for the victim’s medical bills.
At sentencing, District Judge Kessler Soh told the woman that she had acted very rashly by swinging the kettle at her daughter.
“These were not minor injuries and I’m not able to accept the submission of (defence) counsel for probation or a fine,” said the judge.
“I hope you remember this and never commit such an act again against your daughter or anyone else,” he said.
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.