Hong Kong domestic helper spokesman calls for rule changes in wake of Erwiana abuse case

When Tutik Lestari Ningsih decided to come forward to speak out against her former employer in the wake of a sensational abuse case, it was hard to avoid the suggestion that she was being opportunistic.

The suspicious timing raised defence lawyer Graham Harris SC's eyebrows when Tutik took to the court last month to testify against her employer, Law Wan-tung, four years after she was beaten. Law, 44, was yesterday convicted by the District Court of assaulting the maid.

Tutik said she did not know Erwiana Sulistyaningsih was a victim when she found out Law was hurting others again.

"When I heard about the case, I wasn't paying attention to the fact that the victim was Erwiana. I only saw Law Wan-tung," the maid said.

The 29-year-old recalled how she immediately felt the urge to report her case to the police.

"I thought if she could assault another maid and get away with it, she would continue to assault other helpers," she said.

At times, she still feels scarred by the trauma she suffered at Law's hands; she was slapped and kicked by Law often, she told the District Court, and received death threats against her and her family. But now the maid, who is still working in Hong Kong, is happy that she has found a supportive employer.