Begum Raksona, a domestic helper from Bangladesh, testified in court that her boss Au Wai Chun, a former civil servant, had verbally and physically abused her. Raksona told the court that after an argument over a cup of hot water, Au pulled Raksona’s shirt down and poured the cup down her chest, causing her first- and second-degree burns, reports the SCMP. Au has pleaded not guilty and the case is not yet resolved.
Raksona told the District Court that she was “treated like dirt” by Au. In another incident, while she was eating her dinner, Au started verbally abusing her. Raksona says she was so shocked that she vomited.
According to Judy Ma, Au’s lawyer, Raksona does not speak English very well. Raksona’s account in court (given in English) was often unclear and changed a couple of times, especially under the interrogation of Ma. Ma, according to the SCMP, spent much time asking Raksona the exact, minute details of the hot water incident, such as whether or not Au’s hand touched the bottom of the cup, or whether Au took the cup from her with one hand or two hands.
