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. 'Focus on your job and reflect your feeling toward your employers' temperament. 'Should you need further service, approach Family Services Centres of Social Welfare Department or other non-governmental services at your district.' Discussing whether or not to call Mr Kwok as a witness with Ms Aquino's representative, David MacKenzie-Ross, Judge To said the response was 'hopeless'. The chairman of the Hong Kong Human Rights Federation, Aaron Nattrass, said it was a disgrace that the department, which is charged with protecting the rights of all workers in Hong Kong, could respond in such a manner. 'They should immediately have contacted police,' Mr Nattrass said. 'There should be an inquiry into how a government officer can write back to a girl who has complained she is receiving death threats and that her employer is trying to extort money from her and tell her basically to just focus on her job.' Ms Aquino alleges she was sacked after the family discovered she had three deformed fingers. It is alleged that, knowing she could not sack her for having a deformity, Ms So instituted a campaign of harassment to try to get her to quit. Ms Aquino documented the haranguings she said she received from Ms So as well as the items for which she was fined and forced to replace or pay for out of her own pocket. These included being fined $5 for eating a piece of bread and $50 for not closing the refrigerator properly. Ms So has denied she dismissed Ms Aquino because of her disability. The hearing continues next week.