Maid Jailed After Placing One-Year-Old Child on HDB Ledge at Admiralty Block
A 24-year-old Indonesian domestic worker has been sentenced to two months and two weeks’ jail after placing her employer’s one-year-old child on the parapet ledge of an HDB staircase landing in Admiralty.
The incident, which took place at Block 468C Admiralty Drive on 18 May 2026, was witnessed by a resident who immediately alerted the police after seeing the toddler perched on the ledge.
The domestic worker later pleaded guilty to an offence under the Children and Young Persons Act 1993.
Toddler Placed on Fifth-Floor Staircase Ledge
According to court documents, the domestic worker was responsible for caring for the young boy as part of her employment duties.
On the day of the incident, she was carrying the crying toddler in an attempt to calm him down.
She reportedly noticed that the child was leaning towards the parapet and believed he wanted to watch birds flying overhead.
Acting on that assumption, she placed the one-year-old on the parapet ledge of a staircase landing between the fifth and sixth floors for about five minutes.
Although she remained nearby and the child was not left unattended, the act exposed the toddler to an obvious risk of falling from height.
Resident Witnesses Incident and Calls Police
At around 12.27pm, a resident who saw the incident lodged a police report, describing it as an extremely dangerous act.
Police subsequently launched investigations into the matter.
The domestic worker was arrested on 7 July before being produced in court the following day. She has remained in custody since her arrest.
A gag order has been issued to protect the identity of the child.
Court Describes Incident as Serious Lapse in Judgment
Court documents stated there had been no previous reports of ill-treatment involving the domestic worker and the child before this incident.
However, prosecutors described the case as an isolated but serious lapse in judgment involving a vulnerable young toddler.
The prosecution argued that placing a one-year-old on a high-rise parapet created an unacceptable risk to the child’s safety and sought a jail sentence of between three and five months.
The court eventually sentenced the domestic worker to two months and two weeks’ imprisonment, with the sentence backdated to the date of her arrest.
While no injuries were reported, the case serves as a reminder of the importance of exercising proper judgment when caring for young children, particularly in environments where even a brief lapse can have potentially tragic consequences.