Woman abuses 4 of 5 adopted children, gets only 5.1% of S$10.9M assets during couple’s divorce

Woman favoured only one of five adopted children with husband, CPS removed the rest from household due to abuse

A Singaporean woman who abused four of her five adopted children will receive only 5.1% of nearly S$10.9 million in matrimonial assets she shared with her husband, the High Court ruled on Tuesday (18 Nov).

Justice Choo Han Teck said the woman made no meaningful contribution to the family and was instead “the cause of its pain and suffering”.

The largest asset in dispute was the couple’s 50% share of a S$14.7 million house, which they initially owned as tenants-in-common.

Husband gets sole custody of all five children

The couple, who married in 2008, adopted five children after being unable to conceive, reported The Straits Times (ST).

However, the court found the woman, now 55, had repeatedly abused all except the second-oldest child, whom she favoured.

Her abuse was so severe that the Child Protective Service (CPS) removed four children and placed them in children’s homes. Only the father was allowed to visit them.

The only child she did not abuse, the second-oldest, remained living with the couple.

According to ST, no details of the abuse were provided in the judgment. However, the husband ultimately filed for divorce, granted on 18 Nov last year.

Source: Africa images on Canva, for illustrative purposes only

Justice Choo granted the 53-year-old husband sole custody, care, and control of all five children.

He will decide the woman’s access, which — for the four abused children — will be subject to CPS approval. She will have reasonable access only to the child she did not harm.

Husband became primary caregiver as abuse escalated

Although the pair appeared to have a dual-income marriage, the court found that almost all assets were accumulated through the husband’s efforts.

He earned S$9,160 a month as a director of three companies. The woman drew a salary from one of these companies, jointly owned by her and her business partner’s wife.

However, the husband’s lawyer, Mr Kelvin Lee, argued she did not truly work despite her declared income, a claim Justice Choo said was “probably true”.

Due to her conduct, the husband effectively became the primary caregiver, assisted by domestic helpers.

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Post-nuptial agreement not sufficient to determine division

The couple had signed a post-nuptial agreement in 2022 stating that the woman would receive no assets or maintenance.

Mr Lee said the agreement came soon after the oldest child had been badly abused, and was intended to tie the future of the marriage to the woman’s treatment of the child.

Still, Justice Choo found it unsafe to rely on the agreement alone and assessed contributions independently.

He ultimately divided the assets 94.9:5.1 in the husband’s favour, acknowledging only that the woman had taken care of the second-oldest child.

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Woman must surrender property & company shares

The woman must transfer her 50% share of the matrimonial home and her 50% share in the company to the husband.

In return, the man will refund S$301,400.86, plus interest, representing her contribution to the home’s purchase.

With the house fully in his name, the husband may now exclude her from living there and, the judge noted, finally bring all five children home.

Although unrelated by blood, the siblings reportedly get along well, ST said.

Also read: Woman in Taiwan allegedly confined & abused to death by own mother, body discovered by father

Woman in Taiwan allegedly confined & abused to death by own mother, body discovered by father