The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on many injustices, such as racial health inequities in the US and the treatment of migrant workers here.
Now, there’s growing evidence that it’s also worsened one already prevalent form of abuse: domestic violence.
According to TIME, it’s not that the pandemic is creating abusers out of nothing; it’s simply giving them the tools and opportunities to control their victims.
And some of them are will to commit their misdeeds even with their children present.
Grab Driver Attacked Wife in Front of 2YO Daughter
On 25 September 2020, 33-year-old Teh Wee Wee got into a quarrel with his wife.
Teh, who drives for ride-hailing firm Grab, argued with his wife in their Toa Payoh flat for around 20 minutes.
His wife, a 30-year-old Thai woman, ignored him and went to the bathroom.
While inside, Teh threatened to kick her until she collapsed. In response, she said she would call the police.
Furious, Teh kicked his wife on her thigh when she came out of the bathroom.
The woman kicked him back and went to the storeroom to retrieve some clothes. Teh then punched her on the head and face several times, struck her upper arm, and pulled her hair.
All this was done in front of their two-year-old daughter, who started crying at this point.
So, Teh’s wife carried the girl into her room before calling the police with her landline. This angered Teh even further; he pulled out the phone cable, grabbed her by the sleeve, and threw her into his room, where she slammed into a metal shelf and fell.
Even though she was on the floor, Teh proceeded to literally kick her when she was down, before going to the bathroom.
The woman tried to send a message to a friend asking for help, but Teh saw this and snatched her phone away.
He then realised that his wife was bleeding and handed her some tissue paper.
How sweet, right?
Shortly after, police officers arrived on the scene. Fuming about his wife’s decision to call the police, Teh slapped her on her cheek.
Teh’s wife was later brought to the hospital, where she was treated for bruising around her eyes, cheek, and jaw, as well as other injuries.
Jailed For Six Weeks; Argued Because “Wife Came Home Drunk”
When you physically abuse someone, there’s really no mitigating factors or excuses, unless they were abusing you as well.
But, of course, this defendant offered an excuse anyway.
In court, Teh said he knew he was wrong and should not have assaulted his wife.
“This incident happened because my wife came home drunk. Her attitude towards me was not good and because of her attitude, I was unable to go to work… I lost control of myself,” he said.
“I did apologise to my wife and checked on her well-being. I hope I will get a lighter sentence for my actions as I have other personal burdens. My three-year-old daughter still needs me, I need to work to support her and (settle) other financial burdens.”
For the assault, Teh was jailed for six weeks after pleading guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt to a person with whom he was in an intimate relationship.
Things could have ended a lot worse for Teh, as he could have been jailed for up to six years for his offence.
Feature Image: Doidam 10 / Shutterstock.com
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