HONG KONG: Tortured former domestic worker Erwiana Sulistyaningsih on Thursday prevailed in her two-year legal bid to claim HK$809,430 (US$103,480) in damages from her abusive employer, with a judge calling her mistreatment ‘inhumane, degrading and abhorrent’. In granting the civil claim, District Court judge Winnie Tsui Wan-wah awarded the former helper the full amount she sought, disregarding the employer Law Wan-tung’s assertions that Erwiana’s injuries were exaggerated. Her case shone the spotlight on the more than 330,000 domestic helpers in the city, and the hardship they experienced as maids. Erwiana pursued a civil claim against Law after the criminal trial, with the District Court tasked to decide the amount of damages Law would have to pay. She sought damages for her physical injuries and psychological condition, loss of earnings and future earning capacity, medical expenses, and some aggravated damages.

Source: New Strait Times December 22, 2017 02:15 UTC