A domestic helper who repeatedly abused a 90-year-old woman suffering from dementia has been sentenced to 52 weeks in jail after her mistreatment was captured on CCTV.
Nwe Nwe San, 49, a Myanmar national, pleaded guilty on Monday (Jan 12) to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt to a vulnerable person.
The victim, who has moderate vascular dementia, is minimally communicative, requires assistance to move and wears a diaper. Some of the abuse occurred while she was partially undressed during diaper changes.
Footage played in court showed the elderly woman raising her hands in a futile attempt to shield herself as the helper slapped, shoved and struck her with a diaper.
Nwe Nwe San was hired in 2017 by the victim’s 68-year-old son to care for his mother. The abuse came to light when he reviewed CCTV footage while visiting her on July 9, 2025.
On July 16, the helper was seen kicking the victim’s knee, pushing her onto a sofa, grabbing her hair and slapping her face. She also hit the woman with a diaper.
On July 28, she again assaulted the elderly woman while trying to put on a diaper, grabbing her leg, swinging her around and forcing her onto a sofa, causing her to hit her head. At one point, she inserted her finger into the victim’s mouth.
The elderly woman was later hospitalised for a urinary infection on July 30, where doctors discovered bruises and several rib fractures. Although the exact timing of the injuries could not be determined, prosecutors said the severity of the abuse was consistent with such injuries. A police report was filed on August 2.
In mitigation, Nwe Nwe San claimed she was frustrated and wanted to alert the family about the victim’s condition. Prosecutors dismissed this as an afterthought, noting that the victim’s son had already arranged for additional help after she raised concerns.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Caleb Looi described the victim as a “highly vulnerable nonagenarian” who was completely dependent on her caregiver.
District Judge Lorraine Ho said frustration was not an excuse for violence, adding that the accused had taken matters into her own hands by deliberately hurting someone who was unable to defend herself.
For the offences, Nwe Nwe San could have been jailed for up to six years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.
