Woman jailed for 30 months for abusing her children

A woman was on Tuesday jailed for 30 months for assaulting her two children by pouring boiling water over them.

The 37-year-old, who was not named in the District Court so as to protect the identity of her children, had earlier pleaded guilty.

She pleaded for leniency, saying she had suffered a great deal of emotional and physical stress as she was the only person in the family responsible for taking care of her two children, both of whom have special educational needs.

But judge Katherine Lo dismissed those arguments, and said the defendant was obviously not remorseful as she had laughed at her seven-year-old son after pouring hot water over his face and forehead.

The mother even live-streamed the abuse to her husband through a video call, Lo noted.

The judge said the incident caused substantial injuries to the two children, including a scald measuring 20 cm by 20 cm on her son’s back, as well as burns and redness on her 10-year-old daughter’s scalp.

Other wounds – believed to have been the result of past abuse – were also found on the children’s bodies.

“It’s always been said that the court has the responsibility to protect children, while violence to children must be deterred,” the judge said.

She stressed a deterrent sentence was needed to reflect the gravity of the offence, adding that people should report any suspected child abuse cases to the authorities.