By Victoria Barker

SINGAPORE parents do not trust domestic workers enough to leave their children alone with them.

That is the finding of a poll conducted by my paper which found that 15 of 20 young parents would not do so.

The 2min 18sec video has been viewed at least 17,000 times on Stomp. It was originally from YouTube and posted by a netizen who said it was filmed in the home of his sister's friend.

It shows a woman repeatedly kicking a girl's head and body.

At one point, she stood on top of the toddler who wailed in pain. Another child was watching the abuse take place.

The comments posted on Stomp came fast and furious.

GateCrasher said that the abuser deserved "a taste of her own medicine". Undergraduate Stella Lee, 24, said: "A jail sentence would not suffice. The perpetrator should be made to feel the same pain."

What parents and netizens are saying

HERE'S what netizens and parents who spoke to my paper said of the video:

"I've heard too many horror stories of maids lying, cheating, stealing and even abusing the children under their care. I would not take the chance of endangering my child's life."
- Mr Wesley Gunter, 28, public relations executive, father of a 22-month-old boy

"What kind of hurt is being inflicted to this little kid? Internal injury? Trauma to the head? This has to stop. I can't bear to watch the video. It's totally sadistic."
- Stomper devilogy, father with a young daughter

"I'm quite paranoid by nature and I feel it's not easy to trust a stranger, even your own maid."
- Mrs Geraldine Liu, 28, sales executive and mother of three

"There are ways to monitor maids with cameras but I still prefer my in-laws to watch them. Trust takes time to build up. Older kids can speak up if they are being mistreated, but younger kids can't."
- Mrs Doris Chu, 30, operations support manager

"It is really embarrassing to admit that I, an almost emotionless creature, actually cried while watching this video. Those with helpers, regardless of how busy they are, should take the time to monitor vital signs, like injury marks or the children's response to the domestic helper."
- Stomper maverick66

"I was shocked to see she actually stepped on the frail child! She is a fullgrown adult and the child is so small - her spine could have easily been broken and she could have been paralysed! What sick person would do that? We've heard stories about maids being victims... now we see this sick maid becoming the predator."
- Stomper lovefoolosopher

"I cried after viewing the video... The maid is abusing the girl. She needs to be jailed! If the employer ill treats a maid, the employer gets fined and jailed. What about the maid?"
- Stomper kakakiki

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