S'pore mother, 34, who scalded her 4 children with hot water, gets 1.5 years probation

A mother who scalded her four children with hot water was sentenced to one-and-a-half years of probation and mandatory psychiatric assessment and treatment on Jan. 9.

She is also required to take part in counselling programmes as decided by social service agencies and follow a safety plan drawn up by the Child Protective Services.

Her probation will be reviewed after nine months.

The woman previously pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating a child in her care.

Another three charges relating to her other children were also taken into consideration.

The case

On the morning of July 2, 2022, the mother asked her eldest daughter to retrieve S$20 from her wallet to buy breakfast.

However, the daughter informed her that only S$5 remained. This surprised the mother, who remembered having S$60 in her wallet the previous evening.

Suspecting one of her children had taken the money — an incident that had occurred before — the mother instructed her children to search for it.

As the kids began looking, the mother proceeded to the kitchen, filled a tumbler three-quarters full with boiling water, and returned to the bedroom where her children were searching.

She then splashed hot water toward her children and demanded they return the missing money.

Despite their denials, she continued splashing hot water, targeting each of her four children.

The children cried, ran around the room, and apologised as they were scalded.

The mother then instructed them to keep searching until it was time to prepare for school.

It was only then that she noticed marks on her nine-year-old son's body.

Upon closer inspection, she realised her daughters had also sustained similar injuries.

The mother cried and applied medicated oil to her children’s injuries caused by being scalded.

She then called her elder sister for assistance, and an ambulance was called to their home.

Court documents detailed the extent of the children's injuries.

The second child, a 10-year-old girl, was scalded on her left arm, both thighs, and part of her abdomen.

A review on October 3, 2022, noted that her wounds had healed with a soft scar measuring approximately 2cm by 1cm on her inner left arm.

However, it was determined that the injuries were likely to leave permanent scarring.

The other children suffered burns over 1 to 7 per cent of their bodies.

Children have started reintegrating with mother

The court heard that the mother was motivated to reform herself for the sake of her children.

CNA reported that her children have started reintegrating with their mother, who serves as the main breadwinner in the family.

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