HONG KONG: An Indonesian maid has welcomed the arrest of her former Hong Kong employer accused of torturing her, saying she was willing to return to the city to testify in the case that sparked angry protests.
The ex-employer, a Hong Kong mother-of-two was arrested on Monday and charged two days later with assaulting Erwiana Sulistyaningsih and two other Indonesian maids, after thousands of domestic workers marched in the city to call for justice.
“I’m happy. I had hoped the employer would be arrested,” 23-year-old Sulistyaningsih told Hong Kong-based Cable Television in an interview broadcast yesterday.
Law Wan-tung, 44, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Sulistyaningsih, who is now undergoing hospital treatment in her home country.
Law, who was arrested at Hong Kong airport while attempting to board a flight to Thailand, was also charged with common assault and four counts of criminal intimidation -- charges related either to Sulistyaningsih or to her two previous Indonesian domestic helpers.
Prosecutors allege that Law turned household items such as a mop, a ruler and a clothes hanger into “weapons” against Sulistyaningsih.
“If I get better, I will go back to Hong Kong,” Sulistyaningsih told Cable TV from her hospital bed, adding she was unaware her former employer had allegedly abused two other maids.
The Hong Kong broadcaster said she would return to the city to testify in the case but her father has previously said he would not let his daughter return to work overseas. Afp
