A Singapore family court has issued protection orders to two adult siblings following a dispute where a sister’s persistent late-night room cleaning led to a physical confrontation with her brother.
The brother sought court intervention after his sister repeatedly entered his bedroom between 10pm and 4am over eight years to clean it, causing him such distress that he required multiple admissions to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), reported Channel News Asia.
District judge Tan Zhi Xiang granted both siblings protection orders, along with a domestic exclusion order barring the sister from entering her brother’s bedroom.
“I accept that, ordinarily, a sibling cleaning another sibling’s room would be harmless – and indeed a loving act – and most certainly not amount to harassment,“ he was quoted as saying.
However, he acknowledged that, in certain circumstances, harmless acts can become deeply upsetting, leading the brother to experience distress and eventually lash out, resulting in him assaulting her.
The sister defended her actions by citing her work schedule constraints.
“Because I need to work, my dear.
“I need work, my own schedule. I got to go according to my own schedule, my free time. I’m not their maid, I’m not their worker,“ she told the court.
When questioned about respecting her brother’s privacy, she claimed ownership rights superseded his concerns.
“No, because... this unit belongs to my dad, not him. If he’s not comfortable, he can stay out,“ she said, suggesting her brother should move out if he objected to her cleaning routine.
Another sibling testified that family members had to rush to lock their rooms on weekends to prevent the sister’s entry but the cleaning continued despite protests, with the sister attempting alternative entry methods when doors were locked.
The sister claimed the cleaning was necessary due to pest concerns and poor hygiene.
“If the person does housework themselves, clean up their own room themselves, it’s fine. But they don’t even do so at all after 40 years of age. Not even one finger ... the whole window frame can be black (in) colour,“ she added, however, Judge Tan found “no evidence” of such conditions, noting photos showed “at most a messy house.”
“In any event, both parties are adults and it was not necessary for the sister to impose her own hygiene standards on her brother,“ he added.
The court ruled that the sister’s actions amounted to family violence through continual harassment, with both protection orders and the exclusion order carrying criminal penalties if breached, including fines and jail terms.
