An Indonesian maid tortured in Hong Kong by her employer has revealed the details of her harrowing experience as she testified in a court on Monday.
According to local sources, the Indonesian maid tortured in Hong Kong, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, 23, who spoke through a translator, said she was scratched, punched, beaten with several blunt objects, physically humiliated and tortured with a vacuum cleaner. She also revealed that she was deprived of sleep and fed with only a few slices of bread and a bowl of rice. Erwiana was also not paid for her services.
But her former employer Law Wan-tung, has denied all but one of the 21 charges leveled against her - that of failing to take out insurance for her employee.
The case of the Indonesian maid tortured in Hong Kong caught international attention after pictures of Erwiana's bruised body was released to the press. Several human rights advocacy groups have latched onto the case to protest against the mistreatment of maids in Hong Kong.
Over 300,000 maids are estimated to be employed in Hong Kong, many of whom are from Southeast Asia. Activists say the case of the Indonesian maid tortured in Hong Kong is not very different from the experiences of many others in the fast developing island.
The Indonesian maid tortured in Hong Kong - Erwiana - told the court that Wan-tung seized her passport when she tried to escape. The mother of two only set Erwiana on a plane back to Indonesia when her physical condition had worsened drastically.
Erwiana said Wan-tung threatened to have her relatives in Indonesia murdered if she told them about her horrific ordeal.
The case of the Indonesian maid tortured in Hong Kong has attracted the attention of top politicians and opinion leaders. It is unclear if Erwiana, who has become a face for abused household staff all over the world, is seeking to be paid any form of damages. Reports indicate that Wan-tung, who is facing also being tried for mistreating two other of her Indonesian maids, could spend up to 7 years in jail.
