Man in maid abuse case walks free after receiving discharge amounting to acquittal
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SINGAPORE – A man accused of maid abuse has walked free after the case was compounded – a process in which an agreement is made with an alleged victim, usually involving a payment or an apology.
Under the law, only certain offences – such as causing hurt and outrage of modesty – can be compounded.
On April 16, District Judge Brenda Tan granted Mr Somasanmma M S Velu, 48, a discharge amounting to an acquittal.
This means he cannot be charged again over the same offences.
Without revealing the terms of the composition, the Attorney-General’s Chambers told The Straits Times on April 22: “After considering representations made by his counsel and the facts and circumstances of the case, the prosecution amended (one of his charges and) gave its consent for the matter to be compounded.
“After the composition was effected, the court granted the accused a discharge amounting to an acquittal.”
On Nov 22, 2024, Mr Somasanmma was charged with two counts of assault
The incident purportedly happened in a Housing Board flat in Bidadari Park Drive at around 5pm on July 3 that year.
He had been accused of acts including using a phone to hit the woman’s head.
For each count of assaulting a maid, an offender can be jailed for up to six years and fined up to $10,000.
Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times’ court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.
