Tortured helper Erwiana wins HK$809,430 civil claim against abusive Hong Kong employer

District Court judge Winnie Tsui awards the Indonesian the full amount she sought, disregarding employer’s latest assertion that the former helper overstated her injuries

Reading Time:3 minutes

Former domestic helper Erwiana Sulistyaningsih (centre) successfully won her claim against her abusive former employer. Photo: Edward Wong

Published: 4:45pm, 21 Dec 2017Updated: 12:09pm, 23 Dec 2017

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.

In court earlier this month, Law insisted that the Indonesian’s injuries were either self-inflicted or arising from pre-existing conditions, points that she did not make during her criminal trial two years ago, for which she was sentenced to six years in prison.

Abusive Erwiana employer will find it tough fending off civil claim, Hong Kong judge says

However, whether Erwiana will receive the compensation depends on the eventual outcome of a High Court case, where her lawyers are trying to bar Law from transferring her share in a HK$7 million flat to her husband.