Retail assistant Wong Nguk Ing, 36, pleaded guilty to striking Surip Tiani on the buttocks with the feather duster in 2003 for making mistakes while doing the housework, the Straits Times newspaper said.

Tiani, 24, escaped Wong's home in September that year and reported to police that she had been assaulted by her employer, the report said.

A medical examination showed fresh bruises on Tiani's chest, old injuries on her body and scars below her neck, the report said.

Wong, who was charged with two counts of abuse, could have been jailed for up to 18 months and fined up to S$1500 (US$940; €760) for abusing her maid.

Court officials could not be immediately reached to confirm the report.

Critics, including US-based Human Rights Watch, have accused Singapore of not having adequate labor laws to protect maids. The city-state says maids receive full legal protection, and that employers who abuse or exploit maids can face fines and jail.

The country is home to over 140,000 domestic helpers, many of whom come from the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

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