Singaporean man expels 15-year-younger Vietnamese wife from home after birth

A woman covering her face with her hand. Illustration photo by Pexels

According to The Straits Times, the 30-year-old Lily moved to Singapore four years ago seeking better employment opportunities and secured a job as a kitchen helper in a local restaurant.

It was through a fellow countryman that she met her future husband, a mechanic previously divorced twice and 15 years her senior. Their romance quickly led to marriage after Lily became pregnant. But their relationship deteriorated during Lily’s pregnancy.

"He kept criticizing me and comparing me to other women, saying I was so fat during my pregnancy and I’m not pretty enough," Lily told The Straits Times. "He kept saying I was not gentle with him like the beer ladies."

The situation worsened when, just one day after a routine postpartum doctor’s visit, her husband forcibly removed Lily from their flat. Distressed, she contacted the police and was referred to a crisis shelter, where she stayed for the next six months.

Furthermore, her husband initiated divorce proceedings and blocked her access to their son. In a bid to see her son, Lily sought help from Pro Bono SG’s Family Justice Support Scheme, a program providing free legal aid to lower-income foreign spouses in Singapore. With the help of a lawyer, she secured a court order for supervised visits with her son for two hours each week.

"Without my social workers and my lawyer June Lim, I wouldn’t have known what to do and if I can even see my son.," Lily shared.

As reported by Channel News Asia, the Family Justice Support Scheme began its pilot phase in December 2020. Applicants for the scheme must not earn a monthly per capita household income above S$950 (US$708) or reside in a residence valued annually above S$13,000, with their savings and investments not exceeding S$10,000.