The stepmother of two young children who were repeatedly abused by their father — leading to the death of one of them — is set to plead guilty to charges of taking part in the mistreatment alongside her then-husband.
The 35-year-old Singaporean woman, whose identity is withheld to protect the surviving child, was given March 13 as the date to enter her guilty plea following a pre-trial conference on Friday (Jan 9).
She faces six charges linked to the prolonged abuse of the two children as well as to providing false information to the police. During the trial of her former husband, she had said they were in the process of getting a divorce.
The girl was five years old when she died, while her younger brother was four.
According to court documents, the woman and her then-husband are accused of repeatedly ill-treating the children by confining them to a cramped 90cm by 90cm corner of a room, severely limiting their movement over an eight-month period starting in February 2016.
The couple are also accused of forcing the children to stay naked in a toilet from October 2016 until August 2017.
On Aug 12, 2017 — the day the girl was brought to hospital dead — the woman allegedly gave false statements to police, claiming she had been assaulted by her husband in an attempt to stop investigators from scrutinising her.
A week later, she is said to have again lied, telling police that her husband had attacked her after she refused to have sex with him.
The girl was found to be severely malnourished and underweight when she was taken to hospital.
Her father was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the abuse.
If found guilty of ill-treating a child, the woman could face up to four years in jail and a fine of up to S$4,000 for each charge. For giving false information to police, she faces up to one year in prison, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
