By Daisy C L Mandap
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| The story behind the ugly marks on Eden's back needs to be told |
Hong Kong Police say they have
arrested the 35-year-old female employer of a Filipina domestic helper who
claimed to have been assaulted twice in May.
A police spokesperson said the
employer was detained on May 31 for “assault occasioning bodily harm” but was
released on police bail. She is required to report back to police in late June.
“Investigation by Regional
Crime Unit of New Territories South is underway,” said a police statement sent on Monday, Jun 7.
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The Filipina, Eden P., sought
police help on May 30 after she fled her employer’s house in Serenade Cove on
Castle Peak Road in Tsuen Wan, claiming to have been assaulted. She is due to report back to
police later today to give more information, with help from a Filipino
translator which the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section
had requested.
In her previous interview at
the Shatin Police station, Eden, who is turning 37 on Jun 11, was assisted by
an English interpreter. She also provided only two
recent instances of abuse by her employer, which she said is a teacher.
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But in a separate interview she
gave on Sunday, Jun 6, with the Mission for Migrant Workers, Eden said she was assaulted repeatedly by Mak for a year, or two months after she started
working for her in March 2020. She also claimed criminal intimidation, or threats to her life.
One particular incident she
recalled happened between October and November last year, when Mak allegedly
pulled her hair and banged her head against the wall after she failed to comply
with an order.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Then sometime in mid-February this year, after Mak saw that her 19-month-old son did not finish his congee, she allegedly put some dish detergent onto it, then forced Eden to eat it. The helper said: “I was so afraid of her (Mak) that I was forced to eat the congee with detergent.”
From then on, every time Mak
would hear her baby cry, she would allegedly scold and scream at Eden, then
pull her hair, slap, kick or hit her legs and thigh, pinch her and scratch her
face, back and chest.
In late February this year, Mak
reportedly got upset when Eden failed to finish a chore she was told to do
because she was made to other things at the same time. In her anger, Mak allegedly
inserted her hand inside the helper’s shirt from the back, then scratched her
deeply from the nape down.
The last two incidents which she reported to police happened on May 25 and 29, when Mak allegedly assaulted her repeatedly because she failed to do her bidding concerning the baby.
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| The bruises on her thighs were caused by a metal food-turner, Eden claims |
On May 25, Mak allegedly emptied a bag full of toy blocks onto the helper’s head, then after two hours, flared up again when the baby started crying. When she saw that the boy did not finish his congee, Mak reportedly slapped the maid 15 times on both sides of her face, using both hands.
Not content with this, Mak took a metal food turner hanging on a wall and hit Eden five times, on both her thighs and her belly, leaving ugly marks. She also kicked the helper on the legs, shouting “I will kill you, put you in hell.” Mak then took the helper’s cell phone and kept it.
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The next major incident happened on May 29, when the employer again got mad because her baby was crying. When she saw that the baby did not eat his pasta, she reportedly slapped Eden on both sides of her face about 10 times, using both hands.
She then allegedly punched Eden hard on her chest and back, then scratched her on the face and back. The attack caused her face to bleed and her chest and back to hurt.
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The next day, after Mak, her husband and two young sons left the house, Eden seized the chance to flee and seek help from her employment agency, Get Maid. Another Filipina staying at the agency’s boarding house accompanied her to the Shatin Police station to file a complaint.
During her 14-month employment,
Eden said she was not allowed to take a day-off, with Mak saying she should
stay in the flat because of Covid-19. On her supposed rest days, she was
allowed only two hours of rest inside the employer’s study room where she also
slept at night
Her employer’s husband, a physiotherapist, reportedly told Eden his wife was suffering from post-partum
depression.
The Consulate is providing shelter and legal assistance to Eden.
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| PADALA NA! |
