A Singaporean police officer, 47-year-old Kelvin Chelvam, has had his jail sentence increased to 11 years and six months following a High Court decision. Chelvam was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in the fatal abuse of his domestic helper, Piang Ngaih Don, a 24-year-old Myanmar national who died in 2016. The court dismissed his appeal against his convictions and instead granted the prosecution's cross-appeal to lengthen the sentence for one of his charges related to voluntarily causing hurt.
Piang Ngaih Don had been subjected to nearly 10 months of severe physical abuse and starvation while working for the family. At the time of her death, she weighed only 24kg. The abuse was documented by a CCTV system installed in the flat, which captured 35 days of mistreatment. Chelvam, who was the registered employer of the helper, was present during several instances of abuse but failed to intervene. Following the victim's death, he also attempted to obstruct investigations by disconnecting the recording equipment and providing false information to authorities.
This case has been a significant point of public concern in Singapore, highlighting the vulnerabilities of foreign domestic workers. Chelvam is the final person to be convicted in this case, following the earlier sentencing of his then-wife, Gaiyathiri Murugayan, and her mother, Prema S. Naraynasamy. The two women are currently serving 30-year and 17-year prison terms, respectively, for their roles in the abuse and death of the helper. The increased sentence for Chelvam reflects the gravity of his failure to protect the individual under his care and his active efforts to conceal the crime.