SINGAPORE - A teenager poured a kettle of hot water over her flatmate for not doing household chores to her satisfaction, leaving the victim with first-degree burns on her shoulders and back. Three times, Chinese national Long Yan, 17, also ordered her compatriot to strip naked, snapped pictures of her and threatened to circulate them.
Long was on Tuesday sentenced to three months and a week in jail. She is appealing the sentence.
The victim was so traumatised that she returned to China after making a police report, the prosecution said.
Both girls were 16 at the time, and classmates at a private school here.
On June 7, 2013, they were alone at their Toh Tuck Road flat as five other housemates had returned home to China.
The victim was doing chores 9pm, such as sweeping and mopping the floor.
Unhappy with the work done, Long scolded her housemate and hit her with her mobile phone.
She then told the girl to boil some water. The victim did as she was told, and Long took the kettle and poured the boiling water over her.
Long also took nude photographs of her and threatened to circulate them.
District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan had called for a pre-sentence report on Dec 22 last year to assess Long's suitability for probation, because of her age. But Long was found unsuitable as she is not resident in Singapore, and does not live with her guardian.
Long's lawyer said that because of the case, her school had terminated her student pass. Long has also had to remain in Singapore since the incident.
For voluntarily causing hurt with a heated substance, Long could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined. She could have been jailed for up to two years and fined for each of two counts proceeded with of criminal intimidation.
