The Korea Herald

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Maid kills Singaporean widow after being called stupid

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Published : Feb. 16, 2012 - 19:21

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - A teenage Indonesian maid is facing a long jail term after pleading guilty to hitting and strangling an 87-year-old Singaporean widow who called her stupid, a report said Thursday.

Now 19, Vitria Depsi Wahyuno had lied about her age in 2009, saying she was

23 to meet the minimum age requirement, and landed a job in Singapore working for Sng Gek Wah, the Straits Times said.

Wahyuno, who had been employed for only five days when the killing took place, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to culpable homicide and prosecutors have asked for a 20-year-jail term.

The defence, pleading for leniency, said Wahyuno was of low intelligence and could not cope with a demanding employer who called her hurtful names like "bodoh", an Indonesian and Malay word for "stupid".

Neighbours told the Straits Times that Sng was a "fierce" woman who could often be heard scolding Wahyuno.

Other local papers said Sng had gone through seven maids, including Wahyuno, since 2003.

Sng's daughter and granddaughter described her in a statement delivered in court as a strong, resourceful and meticulous woman who was kind-hearted but could be impatient at times, the Straits Times said.

The victim suffered fractured ribs, cuts and bruises after being hit with a vase and smothered with a pillow before her neck was squeezed, according to autopsy results.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 7.

More than 200,000 maids, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia, work in wealthy Singapore.

 

<한글기사>

가정부가 '바보' 소리에 격분 주인 살해



십대 가정부가 자신을 '바보'라고 꾸짖은 87세의 미망 인 노파를 살해했다고 싱가포르 최대 일간지인 스트레이츠 타임스가 16일 (이하 현지시간) 보도했다.

돈을 벌기 위해 고향인 인도네시아를 떠나 싱가포르에 입국한 비트리아 뎁시 와 휴노(19)는 미망인인 숭 ? 와의 집에 가정부로 취직한 지 5일 만에 숭을 살해했고, 15일 과실치사죄로 징역 20년을 선고받았다.

부검 결과 숭은 가정부가 던진 꽃병을 몸에 맞아 갈비뼈 골절과 타박상을 입었 고, 베개와 손으로 질식사당한 것으로 드러났다.

그러나 와휴노측 변호인은 "와휴노는 정신박약자인데 '바보'등의 심한 말을 일 삼는 까다로운 주인을 감당할 수 없었을 것"이라며 선처를 호소한 반면, 숭의 딸과 손녀는 "강하고 슬기로우며 세심한 어머니이자 할머니였다"고 반박했다.

이 사건의 판결은 오는 5월 7일 내려질 예정이다.