Girl pours hot water on housemate over chores

A teenager who lived with her classmate poured a kettle of hot water over her for not doing the household chores to her satisfaction.

On three occasions, Chinese national Long Yan also ordered her compatriot to strip naked, snapped pictures of her, then threatened to circulate them if she did not listen.

Yesterday, Long, 17, admitted to criminally intimidating and hurting her victim, who was left with first degree burn injuries on her shoulders and back.

Both girls were 16 at the time and classmates at a private school here.

The court heard that they were alone at home on June 7 last year, as five other housemates at the flat in Toh Tuck Road had returned to China.

The victim was carrying out chores for Long at 9pm, such as sweeping and mopping the floor.

Unhappy with the work done, Long scolded and hit her with a mobile phone.

She then told the victim to boil some water and tell her when it was ready.

The victim did as asked, but Long took the kettle and poured the boiling water over the girl.

Long also took nude photographs of the victim and threatened to circulate them - just as she had done on the two previous days.

The court heard that Long carried out the abuse because she had been unhappy over how her flatmate had done the household chores.

District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said Long's offences were serious, but called for a pre-sentence report to determine her suitability for probation in light of her age.

Sentencing will be passed on Jan 19.

Noting that Long's guardian is in Singapore and will be able to supervise her, Deputy Public Prosecutor Fong Jing Heng did not object to the court's decision.

The maximum penalty for voluntarily causing hurt with a heated substance is seven years in jail, a fine and caning for men.

Criminal intimidation, if the threat is to impute a woman is unchaste, carries up to 10 years in jail and a fine.

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