Hong Kong woman who abused Indonesian maid Erwiana tells court she was bullied in jail
Law Wan-tung, 44, fails bid to challenge Legal Aid Department’s refusal to assist her in overturning conviction
The employer jailed for abusing Indonesian maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih told a court she was framed, adding that she had been subject to bullying by other prisoners.
Law Wan-tung, 44, insisted she had been set up by Erwiana, other Indonesian maids and the domestic worker rights groups who have been supporting them, resulting in a six-year jail sentence for her.
Law, who was earlier represented by lawyers, broke her silence today for the first time when she made a teary submission to the court in person. She had previously been given a permission to challenge the Legal Aid Department’s refusal to grant her assistance in a judicial review, in her bid to overturn her conviction.
Law, who said she had run out of money and sold her mortgage, contested the decision in the Court of First Instance on Thursday.
READ MORE: Ex-Hong Kong employer of abused Indonesian maid Erwiana can seek review of legal aid ruling
Over the past year, Law said, she had been bullied and threatened in jail by fellow inmates, but her complaints went unheard because she had not been physically assaulted. She said she was also accused of taking drugs.
“They said they wouldn’t offer help unless I was beaten up,” she said, recalling what staff in jail allegedly told her.