Maid tells court she was abused while massaging employer's wife

In the three months she was employed at the Sentosa Cove property, the maid said she kept odd hours and was tasked with massaging her employer's wife until she fell asleep.

Testifying in court yesterday, Ms Jenefer Vegafria Arangote, 39, also alleged she had been abused on five occasions in 2018 while working at the home.

Three of the alleged incidents occurred because Tan Lee Hoon, 56, was unhappy with her massages, said the maid via a Tagalog interpreter.

Tan, a Singaporean, is contesting eight charges of voluntarily causing hurt to Ms Arangote and another Filipino helper, Ms Joan Lozares Lizardo, 33.

Hired in August 2018, Ms Arangote said the time she slept depended on Tan, whom the court heard had difficulty sleeping due to unspecified medical conditions.

Ms Arangote said she worked through the night at times, sleeping at about 1pm to 2pm and waking up at about 5pm to 6pm.

On top of her chores, she and Ms Lizardo also massaged Tan in her bedroom before she slept.

The maid could not recall exactly when the alleged abuses, which came to light on Oct 17, 2018, happened, but one allegedly occurred in the morning while she was massaging Tan's shoulders.

Tan allegedly pinched the maid twice on her right bicep, causing her pain which she rated a six out of ten.

On another occasion, Tan allegedly pinched the right side of the maid's chest twice, and in the third alleged incident, she pinched the right side of the maid's stomach once.

Ms Arangote said Tan also pinched her twice on the right thigh after she knocked over a statue while arranging paper lanterns on a tree.

She had allegedly pinched the maid's forearm twice with her fingernails, but the maid could not recall any details and was unsure which arm it was.

The maid said she also saw Tan hitting Ms Lizardo on the head with her fist after Tan had asked for help to put on socks.

Ms Lizardo had helped Tan to put her shoes on but did not put them on properly, which allegedly prompted Tan to kick Ms Lizardo in her chest, said Ms Arangote.

The maid said Tan also hit Ms Lizardo with a thin wooden stick about 70cm long, while the two maids were in the kitchen.

Ms Arangote took photos of bruises or marks left by the alleged pinches with her phone, the court heard, and had sent them to a friend, who was also a maid here, and her then-boyfriend in the Philippines.

She claimed Tan later confiscated her phone, and when it was returned to her by her agent, the photos were missing.

During cross-examination, defence counsel Sunil Sudheesan put it to Ms Arangote that she was told massaging Tan would be part of her job scope.

BRUISES

Noting Tan would demonstrate how she wanted to be massaged, and that Ms Arangote had given Tan bruises when massaging her, Mr Sunil asked if it was possible the maid had confused what was supposed to be a demonstration for pinching.

The maid disagreed.

The court also heard that Tan had taken Ms Arangote to the Grand Hyatt for buffets and gave her chocolates and cakes.

But the maid alleged that the food was "not good" towards the latter part of her employment, and she was owed salary.

She said she had thought of reporting Tan to the authorities but was afraid she would be sent home and be blacklisted.

The trial will resume today.