Maid who pinched and slapped 1-year-old who interrupted her sleep said this is how she raised her own children
According to a Channel NewsAsia (CNA) report, Nucom Loreta Talbo was responsible for the care of a one-year-old boy, who slept in the same room as she did. She began working for the child's family in September 2023, and between Mar 5, 2024, and Jul 23, 2024, she abused him at least 22 times.
Nucom pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating a child over 22 occasions on Wednesday (Jul 16) and will be sentenced on Jul 30, with CNA adding that the helper has been given the opportunity to talk to a representative from the Philippine Embassy.
While the child's parents were only alerted to the helper hurting their child in July 2024, the abuse could have started as early as December 2023, when the boy's teacher found signs of injury. The helper denied having hurt the boy when the parents confronted her, however. See also Employer "can't afford maid's medical bill" — wants to replace her
On Jul 23, 2024, the boy's parents woke up in the middle of the night because they heard him crying loudly. This prompted them to check footage from the CCTV camera in the bedroom the helper shared with the boy, and they discovered that she had been hitting the boy's head several times, slapping him, pinching his cheek, and other examples of rough handling.
Even with the evidence, Nucom at first denied mistreating the child, but later admitted it, adding that she had raised her children with such treatment.
It is unknown if the helper was abusive toward the boy prior to Mar 5, 2024, as the CCTV had been faulty before that date.
A number of commenters on the story, while horrified at the cruelty of Nucom's actions and expressing the hope that she is punished accordingly, also said that it would be better if helpers had clearer roles. They argued that maids should be expected to do housework, and if they are hired as nannies, then this should be their primary duty, particularly if they are responsible for the care of very young children, and not a mixture of both.
'You either hired helper for the housework and a nanny for the kids. Never two jobs for the helper,' wrote one.
Another said it has been common for people to 'hire a maid who has to do all the chores, cook, take care of the kids, and even walk their dogs, sometimes even on her rest days.'
A number of commenters said that young children should sleep with their parents, and not with helpers, especially since toddlers are still unable to express themselves in cases where they have been hurt. This would also ensure that the helper gets a break from her duties, especially if she does housework as well as childcare.
'I will never let my helper sleep with my baby. My baby still does at least one night feed, helper already has so much work in the day, it is cruel not to let her have proper sleep at night,' one woman wrote.
Local Reddit users appeared to agree.
'You cannot expect infinite patience from them when the child cries through the night or disrupts their rest. Even as parents, we experience frustration when the child just keeps waking up through the night. It is wrong for them to abuse your child, yes, but do you want to take the risk that they will do it without your knowledge to your child who is unable to voice their suffering to you?' one wrote.
'The thing is, nannies are not maids and maids are not nannies, but it ends up becoming part of their job scope to do anything and everything. If ppl cannot take care of their two to three kids daily while doing all the housework… why do they expect the maid to do it?' another added. /TISG
Read also: 'DO NOT HIRE A MAID IF…': Singaporean calls out unrealistic expectations of employers
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
44 minutes ago
- Independent Singapore
Thai man shoots his wife dead before killing herself after she refused to share him with his other wives
Photo: Thaiger CHIANG MAI, THAILAND: A man in Chiang Mai, Thailand shot his third wife dead before killing himself on Saturday (19 July) after a dispute. According to Thai publication Thaiger, the woman was unaware that the man was still living with his first two wives and had ten children. She wanted to return to her hometown in anger but he refused to let her leave, triggering an argument that turned fatal. The man's two other wives were apparently present at the time of the dispute and tried to intervene, but they died from their injuries. The incident took place around 10.15pm in the evening. When police arrived at the scene, they found the bodies of the 43-year-old man and his 36-year-old wife, as well as a 9mm pistol. According to preliminary investigations, the man had a good relationship with his two wives, and there was a photo showing him posing with them both of them. He also had five children with each of his first two wives. See also Judge Tracie Porter removes Trump name from Illinois ballot His third wife had been previously married but her husband had passed her away, leaving her with two children. Investigations are ongoing. The families of the deceased intend to hold a funeral on Monday (21 July). () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Independent Singapore
44 minutes ago
- Independent Singapore
ComfortDelGro to discipline taxi driver who threw wheelchair but reveals passengers were relatives of drive
Photo: SGRV FB SINGAPORE: ComfortDelGro has confirmed that it will be taking disciplinary action against a taxi driver who was caught on camera throwing a wheelchair onto the ground and manhandling a passenger during a heated incident that unfolded in Redhill on July 18. The company, however, also indicated that the passengers did not pay the fare and were relatives of the driver The incident, which took place at about 1.30pm in front of Block 71 Redhill Road, was captured on a vehicle's dashcam and uploaded by SG Road Vigilante to Facebook on Friday (19 July), quickly going viral. In the footage, a blue ComfortDelGro taxi is seen stationary at a zebra crossing with its left-side doors already open. A red plastic bag is thrown out of the vehicle, shortly before a passenger alights to pick it up. Moments later, the female driver steps out, opens the boot, and hurls a folded wheelchair onto the pavement. A second passenger exits the vehicle, and the first returns briefly to retrieve another item. The cab driver then slams the doors shut and is seen physically pulling one of the passengers out of her way before shutting the boot and getting back into the driver's seat. The dashcam footage was captioned: 'Not to put her job at risk, but her attitude towards them was truly unacceptable. The old lady was crying, by the way.' A ComfortDelGro spokesperson has since confirmed to Stomp that the company is aware of the video and has launched an investigation. 'The well-being and respectful treatment of all our passengers is paramount,' the spokesperson said, 'The actions of the cabby are unacceptable and do not reflect the professional standards we uphold.' The company clarified that the passengers involved were not fare-paying customers, but relatives of the driver. 'Our investigations reveal that the incident was a personal dispute involving the cabby and her own family members, who were being ferried in the vehicle at the time,' the spokesperson added. 'Nonetheless, we take a serious view of any misconduct by our cabbies. We will be addressing this matter internally with the cabby concerned and will take appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with our company policies.' ComfortDelGro has not disclosed the specific disciplinary measures being considered. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Pre-trial conference for Ong Beng Seng case rescheduled
SINGAPORE: A pre-trial conference set for the case of property tycoon Ong Beng Seng has been rescheduled to next week, after a request was made to push it back. The 79-year-old Malaysian, known for bringing Formula 1 to Singapore in 2008, was first charged with two offences in October 2024. These correspond to two charges admitted to by former transport minister S Iswaran. Ong was set to have the hearing on Wednesday morning (Jul 23) but that has been shifted to Jul 28. According to court records, a request was made to reschedule the court event and it was approved. It was not indicated who made the request. CNA has contacted Ong's PR firm and the Attorney-General's Chambers for more information. The latest development comes after a pre-trial conference on Jul 8 resulted in another adjournment for "parties to file revised papers", following a statement from the judiciary that both sides wished to file further submissions on sentencing. A pre-trial conference is a hearing before a judge away from the public and media, where both sides discuss administrative matters. This can be any issue that needs to be ironed out before going to open court, and does not always mean a trial is going to take place despite the name. It is not uncommon for a case to go through many rounds of pre-trial conferences before going to open court for a guilty plea or trial. Ong faces two charges, first for abetting Iswaran in obstructing the course of justice by helping the latter pay S$5,700 (US$4,480) to Singapore GP for a business class flight ticket from Doha to Singapore. This was a delayed payment allegedly made months after the flight itself and only after the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) discovered Iswaran's name on the flight manifest when investigating a separate case. The second charge is for instigating Iswaran to obtain flights and a hotel stay from Ong. This was when Iswaran knew Ong had business dealings linked with his official functions. Ong was previously set to plead guilty on Jul 3. Ong was the managing director of Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), which previously stated in a Singapore Exchange (SGX) announcement that Ong would plead guilty to the charge of obstructing justice, while admitting to have the other charge taken into consideration for sentencing. He stepped down on Apr 29 for medical reasons, the company said. If convicted of the charge under Section 165 of the Penal Code for abetting Iswaran in obtaining valuables, Ong could face a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both. If convicted of obstructing justice, the charge under Section 204A, Ong could face a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.
