10-11-2023 (SINGAPORE) A domestic worker from Indonesia added Dettol antiseptic to a bottle of Ribena cordial, which was later consumed by three individuals, including two children. Thankfully, the trio did not become ill, and the incident was reported to the police on August 6, 2023.
The 18-year-old domestic worker from Indonesian, Mila Rindi Antika, later claimed that she had been emotionally abused and asserted that she had not received enough food. However, a medical examination did not find her to be underweight.
Mila admitted that she had committed the offense to avoid performing her duties. Consequently, she was sentenced to four months in jail after pleading guilty to performing a reckless act that could have harmed others.
According to the Ministry of Manpower’s website, maids must be at least 23 years old when applying for a work permit. Court documents did not specify whether any parties would face legal action for the issue related to Mila’s age.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Phoebe Tan explained that a woman had previously hired Mila to work in her home. The woman’s two grandsons, aged 10 and 11, visited her residence about three times a week, and Ribena was always stocked up for them.
On the morning of August 4, when no one else was present, Mila mixed Dettol into a bottle of Ribena in the kitchen cabinet area, thinking that the home’s closed-circuit television cameras would not capture her actions. She hoped that her employers would consume the tainted Ribena.
Mila was aware that the two children frequently drank Ribena when they visited. After contaminating the drink, she placed the Dettol bottle in the far end of a cabinet where antiseptic was typically stored.
Later that day, her employer prepared Ribena drinks for her 32-year-old son and the two boys. The man detected a chemical taste in the tainted drink but dismissed it shortly after. The 11-year-old also drank some Ribena without complaints.
However, his younger brother informed his grandmother that the drink tasted unusual. When she examined his cup, she noticed a strong chemical odor emanating from it.
Initially, the woman believed that Mila had not properly cleaned the cup, so she took another one. Before pouring the drink into the new cup, her sister opened the contaminated Ribena bottle and detected a chemical smell. She inquired with Mila if she had added anything to the cordial, but the maid denied it. The grandmother did not probe further and kept the bottle of contaminated Ribena in her room.
Two days later, she discovered the Dettol bottle inside the cabinet and reported the incident to the police.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan urged the court to impose a sentence of five to six months in jail, emphasizing that two young children had consumed the tainted cordial. For her offense, the maid could have been sentenced to up to a year in jail and fined up to S$5,000.
