Maid was urged to ignore death threat and get on with job

Judge dismisses official's advice as hopeless

A Labour Department suggestion that a domestic helper who complained about harassment, death threats and abuse by her employer should be less sensitive and focus on her work has been described as 'hopeless' by a judge.

Judge Anthony To Kwai-fung made the comment during a disability discrimination hearing into the dismissal of Filipino domestic helper Celestina Aquino, 44, in December 2003.

Under discussion was a Labour Department reply to a five-page hand-written letter sent by Ms Aquino detailing the extensive abuse she said she was suffering at the hands of her employers, Betty So Mei-ngor and her husband, Leung To-kwong.

In the letter, dated December 7, 2003, Ms Aquino alleged Mr Leung wanted to kill her, that he and his daughters had tortured her, and that he was demanding $40,000 from her because their dog had got onto the sofa. She claimed Ms So constantly yelled at and belittled her, fined her, withheld money and threatened her with violence.

Project officer Kwok Fu-ming from the department's Tuen Mun branch office replied on Christmas Eve that year.

'Do you think you should be so sensitive to the insulting words exhibited by the employers,' he wrote after saying the contents of the letter had been noted.