Melbourne couple accused of enslaving woman shrug off modern-day slavery charges: ‘very unfair’
- Prosecutors allege the couple controlled the victim’s movements and physically assaulted her in their home between January and October last year
- The number of people living in modern slavery in Australia has more than doubled in the past four years amid a rise in migrant workers
An Australia-based couple accused of keeping a woman in domestic servitude at their home in Melbourne has called the modern-day slavery charges “very unfair” during a recent court appearance.
Prosecutors allege Chong Chee Kit and Angie Liaw exercised coercive control over the victim, controlled her movements and physically assaulted her at their house in Melbourne between January and October last year.
Australia’s federal police launched an investigation and raided the pair’s residence in October following a tip-off from a health worker who spotted signs of human trafficking in the woman.
Chong and Liaw, who are of Chinese descent, were charged with possessing a slave, using coercion and threats to cause another person to enter into and remain in servitude, and exercising control over a slave.
If convicted, they each face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
The duo on Monday told a Melbourne magistrates’ court they would be pleading not guilty to the charges, and a judge admonished them for seeking multiple adjournments and repeatedly changing their lawyers.
