A total of six suspects appeared at the Yangon western district court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing in a case involving the alleged prolonged abuse of two teenage maids at a tailor shop in the downtown area.
This was technically the second hearing in the case, but the first with all suspects after a sixth person turned herself in to the police on Wednesday night.
The case has gripped the country after a reporter from Myanmar Now revealed that the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission brokered compensation for the two victims instead of helping pursue a criminal case.
Calls for members of the commission to resign or face action have reached parliament, where MPs voted overwhelmingly in favor of disciplining the commission earlier this week.
Authorities believe the defendants, all members of the same family or related by marriage, were responsible for the abuse and mistreatment of the two maids for five years, since they were sent to the household to work when they were 11 and 12 years old, respectively.
The suspects are Daw Tin Thu Zar and her husband U Ko Latt, their son Tin Min Latt, their two daughters Thiri Latt and Su Mon Latt, and Yar Zar Htun, the husband of Su Mon Latt.
Police have accused the family of torture and not paying salaries.
In an emotional Facebook post on Wednesday, Thiri Latt wrote that she was innocent before turning herself in. She also posted a photo of her hugging her two children.
However, Swe Win, the reporter who uncovered the case, wrote his own post today that while he did not find evidence of Thiri Latt personally abusing the girls, she was aware of what was going on and she was in the shop when he tried to take photos of the victims during the start of his investigation.
“What is sure is that she knew about the entire situation of the two children [who] were tortured.”
The suspects were brought into court briefly for the hearing, which was seemingly held only to determine to the date of the next hearing.
Human rights lawyer Robert Sann Aung is representing the housemaids but the family has yet to obtain an attorney and it’s unclear how the case can proceed without one.
Friends at the court also worried that the family had no support to take care of their children. They also brought food to the family.
The next hearing is on October 6.
