Offences against foreign domestic workers in Singapore: Vindicating the victim’s right to dignity

• Main Author: ONG, Benjamin Joshua
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2017
• Subjects: Singapore; foreign domestic workers; foreign maids; human dignity; Asian Studies; Workers' Compensation Law
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/2401; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sol_research/article/4359/viewcontent/Offences_Against_Foreign_Domestic_Workers_in_Singapore__Vindicating_The_Victim_s_Right_to_Dignity___OHRH.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The High Court of Singapore recently increased the sentences of two employers who had starved their foreign domestic worker, causing serious physical injury. In so doing, the court affirmed the victim’s right to human dignity despite the relative leniency of the charge. This case prompts reflection not only on the vulnerability of foreign domestic workers and the courts’ role in protecting their basic dignity, but also on the prosecutors’ role in framing charges that accurately and completely reflect the infringement of rights.