Court bans woman from cleaning her brother's room against his will

In a recent and unusual case, a Singapore family court issued a partial domestic exclusion order against a woman accused of entering her adult brother’s room uninvited at odd hours to clean.

On October 31st, the two siblings sought court orders against each other following a perplexing dispute. The sister obtained a protection order against her brother, citing physical assault, while he was granted a domestic order restricting her access to his room, the very issue that led to the altercation.

A third sibling testified that tensions between the two had been building for years, largely due to the sister’s habit of intruding into her brother's room at night to clean, disrupting his privacy and sleep. According to the brother, it was this repeated invasion that eventually pushed him to his breaking point. The court's unusual orders reflect the deep-seated frustrations between the siblings in this uniquely contentious case.

“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,’’ the judge clarified, indicating that in some situations, what might seem innocuous to some can cause great grief to others.

The brother revealed that for the past eight years, his sister had routinely entered his room at night to clean, ignoring his repeated protests and requests for privacy. Initially, she would arrive around 9 pm, but over time her visits became later and longer, with her entry shifting to around 11 pm and sometimes extending until 4 in the morning. Even on nights when she left early, she would often return in the middle of the night, cleaning until sunrise. Her late-night cleaning sessions disrupted his sleep and, according to the brother, became an increasingly invasive pattern, leading to significant tension between them.

A third sibling corroborated the sister’s unusual cleaning habits, telling the judge that his brother would often rush home just to lock his bedroom door in an attempt to keep her out. However, the sister was seldom deterred and typically managed to find her way in regardless. When questioned about her insistence on cleaning her brother’s room, she responded simply that she needed to do it, leaving the court puzzled by her determination and disregard for boundaries. The strange persistence created years of escalating tension between the siblings, ultimately leading to their unusual court case.

“Because I need to work, my dear,” she told the judge. “I need work, my own schedule. I’ve got to go according to my own schedule, my free time. I cannot say, you want me to come at 8am, means 8am. I’m not their maid, I’m not their worker.”

The woman attempted to justify her actions, explaining, “If the person does housework themselves, cleans 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 judge rejected the woman’s justification, emphasising that “both parties are adults, and it was not necessary for the sister to impose her own hygiene standards on her brother.” While he condemned the brother's assault on his sister as “unacceptable,” he acknowledged that it may have stemmed from the immense frustration and distress caused by her intrusive behaviour. The judge’s remarks highlighted the need for boundaries and mutual respect, suggesting that the sister's actions had crossed a line, even if well-intentioned.

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