• A Singapore police officer, Kevin Chelvam, sentenced to 10 years for his involvement in the abuse of a Myanmar maid.
• The victim, Piang Ngaih Don, died from starvation and physical abuse, weighing only 24 kg at her death.
• Chelvam's actions included abetting the abuse and tampering with evidence, as he removed CCTV footage documenting the crimes.
• Chelvam's ex-wife and mother-in-law are also serving long sentences for their roles in the case.
• Judge emphasized Chelvam's failure to intervene in the ongoing abuse of the victim.

A Singapore court sentenced Staff Sergeant Kevin Chelvam to 10 years' imprisonment for his complicity in the fatal abuse of Myanmar domestic helper, Piang Ngaih Don. The 24-year-old victim suffered months of torture and deprivation, resulting in her death on July 26, 2016, due to brain injuries and malnutrition, with her weight dwindling to just 24 kg at the time of death, according to Channel News Asia.

During the trial, Chelvam, 46, was convicted on four charges including voluntarily causing hurt and abetting grievous hurt through starvation. Judge Teoh Ai Lin noted that he had the chance to stop the abuse but failed to act. “He was her legal employer who was to ensure a safe working environment for her, and should and could have stopped the abuse,” stated the judge, as reported by both South China Morning Post and India Times.

Chelvam's role in the abuse involved witnessing the maltreatment without intervening while his then-wife, Gaiyathiri Murugayan, and mother-in-law, Prema S Naraynasamy, perpetrated the cruelty. Both women have received significant prison sentences for their actions—30 years and 17 years, respectively, according to Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.

Prosecutors highlighted that Chelvam actively supported the starvation of Don, contributing to her inability to withstand physical abuse, and emphasized the significant evidence captured on CCTV that Chelvam later attempted to destroy. After Piang Ngaih Don's death, he removed the CCTV recorder from their home and lied to investigators about its whereabouts, reports India Times.

The surveillance footage ultimately played a critical role in exposing the extent of the abuse, with multiple incidents recorded. Judge Teoh's remarks highlighted the gravity of Chelvam's inaction, stating, “If the CCTV recorder had not been recovered, Don would have taken with her to the grave the whole truth of what she had endured in the final days of her tragic life,” which was quoted by South China Morning Post, Channel News Asia, and India Times.