2 top newsthesundaytimes September 21, 2014

3top newsSeptember 21, 2014 thesundaytimes

Couples involved in bitterbreak-ups are increasingly resort-ing to illegal snooping to obtain in-criminating information againsttheir spouses, lawyers say.

Already, most of the evidenceused in divorce cases these dayscomes from high-tech devices likemobile phones and computers. Toget the upper hand, some spouseshire computer experts to hack intoe-mail accounts or plant spywarein laptops and smartphones.

“In the past, it was the tradition-al documents and letters, but now,with technology and social media,as many as eight in 10 cases in-volve computer-generated evi-dence,” said family lawyer RajanChettiar.

Earlier this month, High CourtJudge Quentin Loh asked the Attor-ney-General’s Chambers to investi-gate allegations that lawyers hadadvised a woman client to hire ahacker to get into her husband’slaptop.

He said the court took “a verydim view of solicitors who sanc-tion, let alone encourage, theirclients’ involvement in such illicitactivities as hacking”.

The number of non-Muslim di-vorces hit 7,525 last year, the sec-ond-highest annual figure onrecord.

Lawyer Gloria James-Civettatold The Sunday Times that shehas handled about six cases so far

this year in which her clients fellprey to hacking. She used to en-counter only one or two such casesa year in the past.

This year, she also refused torepresent five prospective clientswho presented illegally obtainedinformation about their spouses’affairs or assets.

Increasingly, clients are also ask-ing lawyers how to hire hackers, orhow to get their spouses to deletematerial obtained through under-handed means.

Family lawyer Abdul Rahmansaid he has fielded nearly a thirdmore such inquiries this year.

Under the Computer Misuseand Cybersecurity Act, a personcan be fined or jailed for accessinga computer to retrieve data or pro-grams without permission.

It is a crime to hack intosomeone’s computer regardless ofwhether the other party has suf-fered any harm.

However, there may be grey are-as.

“If the wife has previously giv-en her husband her password toher mobile phone or if he happensto see something by chance when

she leaves it around, does it countas hacking?” asked lawyer Lee TerkYang.

When a client presents evi-dence against her spouse, somelawyers accept it.

“I am satisfied with taking theinformation at face value insteadof questioning the clients on whe-ther they got it illegally,” said MrLee.

Others feel they ought to probedeeper.

Mr Koh Tien Hua, whoco-heads Harry Elias Partnership’sfamily and matrimonial law prac-tice, said he would ask his clients ifthe accessed smartphone, laptopor other devices belong to them.

“If they bought it and used itmost of the time, or if it is a sharedcomputer, it should not be consid-ered as trespassing,” he said.

Ms James-Civetta said that ifshe suspected the other party wasusing illegally obtained informa-tion against her client, she wouldobject in court or try to prove itwas retrieved inappropriately.

She felt it would be helpful tohave guidelines for dealing withevidence obtained illegally, suchas those in place in countries suchas Britain.

Others said raising public aware-ness that such behaviour is illegaland relying on lawyers to do theright thing were enough.

jantai@sph.com.sg

Janice TaiToh Yong Chuan

Several government agencies havecome together to deal more effec-tively with the growing problem ofelderly people who clutter theirflats with numerous items theyhoard.

They collect cardboard boxes,plastic bags, canned food, newspa-pers and umbrellas and, in theworst cases, stack them up fromfloor to ceiling, making it impossi-ble to move around freely insidetheir flat.

The Sunday Times understandsthat those involved in the new taskforce, led by the Ministry of Nation-al Development, are the Ministryof Health, Ministry of Social andFamily Development, the police,the Housing Board (HDB), Singa-pore Civil Defence Force (SCDF),National Environment Agency(NEA) and People’s Association.

Also involved is the Institute ofMental Health (IMH), becausehoarding can be a symptom of ob-sessive compulsive disorder or de-mentia.

The new task force will workwith community groups to identifythose who hoard, clean up theirflats, which can be potential firetraps, and send them for medicaltreatment if they need it.

It allows the different bodies totackle the issue “in a more coordi-nated and sustainable manner”, aNational Development Ministryspokesman told The Sunday Times.

Currently, residents are simplyadvised by HDB officers to removeitems, the spokesman said, adding:“For compulsive cases, the HDBwill work with social workers, grass-roots leaders and the SCDF to pro-vide counselling and help.”

Up till now, problem hoarderswere dealt with in a piecemeal fash-ion, said Ms Julia Lee, director ofTouch Community Services’ Sen-iors Activity Centre.

If items caused obstruction inpublic spaces, such as common cor-ridors, the town council would stepin. The NEA would be alerted ifhoarding caused an infestation ofpests, such as cockroaches. If theitems were deemed a fire hazard,the SCDF would get involved.

Ms Lee said: “It is important toaddress hoarding, as the cluttermay affect health and safety, causeconflict with family and neigh-

bours, or is a sign of isolation andloneliness.”

Voluntary welfare organisationswelcomed the joint effort by thetask force, given the serious prob-lems hoarding can cause.

Doctors at IMH treated a50-year-old woman who lived in athree-room flat in Toa Payoh thatwas so cluttered with junk that eve-ry time she needed to shower, shehad to move items out of her bath-room.

She had a decade’s worth ofnewspapers, old electrical applianc-es and umbrellas, among otherthings. The flat was so packed thatshe ended up sleeping in the corri-dor.

The woman has improved withtreatment, and is no longer hoard-ing items. The town council hascleared out her flat.

Social workers from Touch, whovisited 600 flats in two rentalblocks in Geylang Bahru over thepast two years, found 30 with signif-icant hoarding or self-neglect.

The number referred to the IMHfor hoarding has increased gradual-ly over the years, said its consultantRajesh Jacob, though figures arenot available.

From January to last month,HDB also received feedback on 23hoarding cases, the same number ithandled for the whole of last year.

These figures are likely to be thetip of the iceberg, said those whowork closely with the elderly, be-cause cases go unreported, or thosewho exhibit such behaviour refuseto seek treatment.

jantai@sph.com.sg

tohyc@sph.com.sg

A nurse who filed for divorce wasshocked when her technician hus-band filed a counter claim accus-ing her of having an affair.

Grace (not her real name), 42,had decided on divorce afterputting up with years of her hus-band coming home drunk, and get-ting verbally abusive.

Her lawyer , Ms GloriaJames-Civetta, said the husbandproduced in court e-mail thatGrace had sent to the man and

photographs of the two together.Grace, who denied the relation-

ship, said: “I was so surprised thathe had those materials because weslept separately after our marriageturned rocky, and my computerwas in my room.”

She found out during media-tion that her husband had hired aprivate investigator, who made atleast two visits to their five-roomflat in Ang Mo Kio to plantspyware in her computer while she

was at work.The bug enabled him to receive

a copy of every e-mail she sent andretrieve information stored in thedesktop.

Ms James-Civetta objected tothe use of this evidence in court.The e-mail and photos were not al-lowed to be admitted, as her hus-band failed to tell the court howhe had obtained the information.

Grace was granted a divorce inOctober last year on the grounds

of her husband’s unreasonable be-haviour.

“While this is a simpler casewhere the couple are simply fight-ing over the grounds of divorce tosave face, the stakes could bemuch higher if assets or custody ofchildren is involved,” said MsJames-Civetta.

“That is why some spouses mayturn desperate and resort to illegalways of gaining the upper hand.”

Janice Tai

Madam Ng Moey Chye had morethan 200 pairs of scissors andknives, 400 paper fans, 100 bam-boo sticks, 100 umbrellas and 30trolleys.

These are things that the 83-year-old former Samsui womanhad collected over 15 years, andthey were piled to the ceiling of herone-room rental flat in BukitMerah.

She could not get into her kitch-en, and had to crawl to her bed ona path the width of a magazine.

Volunteers from Keeping HomeAlive cleared her flat of the clutterone week ago, but it was not aneasy task.

“She agreed to part with theitems only after we told her wewould sell them to the rag-and-bone man,” said 44-year-old FionPhua, who founded the volunteergroup.

Now, Madam Ng’s collectionhas been reduced to 32 umbrellas,11 clocks, 10 chairs and seven trol-leys.

She did not like being askedabout hoarding. “My things are notdirty, no cockroaches and bed-bugs,” she protested. “They giveme some financial security. Istopped working 15 years ago, so Ineed to collect things to sell.”

But she admitted: “I did not getround to selling them because myleg hurts and I cannot walk much.”

She still collects cardboard tosell daily, supplementing the pub-lic assistance money she gets eachmonth.

When asked about her scissorsand knives, she said: “I was a clean-er at a Jurong clothes factory. Afterit closed 20 years ago, the scissorswere discarded, so I kept them.”

Madam Ng, who never married,is glad that the clutter was cleared.“The room is now more airy andspacious,” she said.

But she is not about to stop col-lecting things, she said.

Toh Yong Chuan

Joint govt effortto better unclutterlives of hoarders

More people in bitter divorce spats are resorting to hacking computers andmobile phones to obtain evidence against their spouses, lawyers tell Janice Tai

New task force willwork with communitygroups to identify andhelp those who hoard

PHOTOS: FION PHUA

Madam Ng Moey Chye in hercleaned-up flat (top). Previously, shecould not get into her kitchen (topleft), and her flat was so cluttered(above) she had to crawl to her bedon a path the width of a magazine.

Snoopingin divorcecases goeshigh-tech

200 pairs of scissors,knives and more...

ST PHOTO: TOH YONG CHUAN

Cleaning up the clutter“She agreed to part with the items only after we toldher we would sell them to the rag-and-bone man.”MS FION PHUA, Keeping Home Alive founder, on cleaning up Madam Ng’s flat

Husband gets private investigator to plant spywareNeed for action“It is important toaddress hoarding, as theclutter may affect healthand safety, causeconflict with family andneighbours, or is a signof isolation andloneliness.”MS JULIA LEE, director ofTouch Community Services’Seniors Activity Centre