‘I was tortured’, Hong Kong maid Erwiana tells court as trial of employer begins
Former Indonesian helper tells court she was once knocked unconscious
Indonesian domestic helper Erwiana Sulistyaningsih was "tortured" by her Hong Kong employer over the course of seven months, suffering blows that caused her teeth to chip and in one episode knocking her unconscious, a court heard yesterday.
The helper told the District Court she was once stripped naked in the bathroom, sprayed with water and asked to stand in front of a fan for an hour or two. She recalled it was winter, telling the court that it was a method of punishment used if she fell asleep.
The former maid, 23, said she was assaulted by her ex-boss Law Wan-tung so often that she could not tell one incident from another.
"I was tortured by my employer," she said, speaking through an interpreter, as she testified in a high-profile trial which attracted a room full of journalists and supporters at the Wan Chai court.
Law, 44, pleaded not guilty to 10 charges yesterday, including assaulting Erwiana and two other Indonesian domestic helpers, Tutik Lestari Ningsih and Nurhasanah.
Watch: Allegedly abused Indonesian maid appears in Hong Kong court