Fined over maid's fatal fall

The Straits Times, Feb 13, 2009

 

By Elena Chong, Courts Correspondent
		Selvam Packirisamy (left) was convicted earlier this month of failing to ensure that Ms Mariyappan Revathishe did her job in a manner which did not endanger her life. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

A BUSINESSMAN whose Indian domestic worker fell to her death while cleaning his kitchen windows was slapped with the maximum fine of $5,000 on Friday.

Selvam Packirisamy, 39, was convicted earlier this month of failing to ensure that Ms Mariyappan Revathishe did her job in a manner which did not endanger her life.

The 23-year-old maid had only been working for the family for about a month when she fell to her death from the third-floor Choa Chu Kang flat on Feb 1, 2007.

This is the first case which resulted in death to be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Workers Act.

The court heard that Selvam, who runs an internet cafe and a restaurant, had left the control, management and supervision of the maid to his wife.

The couple have two children, aged six and two.

The prosecution argued that Selvam did not take any interest in the maid's safety and hence, failed in his duty to ensure that she was not endangered in the course of her work.

District Judge Jasbendar Kaur said she agreed with the prosecution that in cases of this nature there was a strong public interest element to ensure that the well-being and safety of the domestic workers were protected by their employers.

She said a work permit employer was responsible for any fatal consequences which resulted from his actions or omissions.

'It is because of this, it is necessary to pass an appropriate sentence to send a correct signal to employers who make no effort in ensuring the well-being and safety of their foreign domestic workers that they will not be dealt with lightly by the courts,' she added.