An Indonesian maid tortured by her former Hong Kong employer is seeking HK$809,430 (about US$104,000) in compensation for her injuries, which her former boss yesterday tried to claim — for the first time — were self inflicted, according to reports.
Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, 26, suffered eight months of abuse between 2013 and 2014 and returned to Indonesia in a critical condition with cuts and burn marks on her skin.
The case made international headlines after details of her horrific treatment emerged and cast a spotlight on the treatment of domestic helpers in Hong Kong, where more than 300,000 reside.
Her ex-boss, Law Wan-tung, 46, was jailed for six years in 2015, after being convicted on 18 assault and labor-related charges for her treatment of Erwiana and another Indonesian maid she employed, Tutik Lestari Ningsih, who has also lodged a civil suit against the housewife.
Speaking at the District Court yesterday, Erwiana, who flew back from her native Indonesia for the assessment of damages hearing, said she was still haunted by the “nightmare” of Law’s treatment.
“I still feel hatred toward my previous employer,” she said, according to the Standard. “I am better, but my wounds will never disappear.”
Testimony during the 2015 trial described how Law had once inserted a vacuum cleaner tube into the helper’s mouth and twisted it, causing it to cut her lips. She also punched Erwiana so hard that her teeth were fractured.
However, yesterday, Law tried to claim that the helper had caused her own injuries or they were due to a pre-existing condition, something she did not to say during the criminal trial, the SCMP reported.
According to the Standard, she also called the proceedings a “waste of time” and criticized the justice system for “not protecting the people of Hong Kong.”
Erwiana is seeking compensation for her physical injuries and psychological conditions, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as for loss of earnings, her future earning capacity, medical expenses, and some aggravated damages.
District Judge Winnie Tsui Wan-wah said a judgment would be made at a later date.
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