By Daisy C L Mandap
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| Still shot taken from a video of the helper and the employer tussling with each other |
There was both bad news and good news today, Oct 29, in the case of a Filipina domestic worker who was taken away by police Wednesday night after tussling with her employer in Island Place Three in North Point.
The bad news was, according to a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Police, the Filipina, S.L., was formally arrested on charges of possessing an offensive weapon and assault occasioning bodily harm.
The good news is, a human rights lawyer has agreed to help with the case and is now liaising with the Consulate on helping the Filipina with a scheduled interview with her by the police tonight at North Point Police Station.
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The Filipina is expected to be given police bail while the investigation continues.
Consul General Raly Tejada, who was immediately informed of the case, said the Consulate would do its best to help the Filipina worker.
In response to a request for an update on the case by The SUN, the police spokesperson said the Filipina was arrested after the police received a report shortly after 6pm last night that the helper had pointed a knife at her employer, and also bit her.
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No complaints were recorded against the employer, and she was not arrested. The spokesperson said she did not know why the police report appeared to support only the employer’s version of events.
Both helper and employer were taken to the hospital after the skirmish, and the Filipina remained there up to early this afternoon, reportedly complained of dizziness, saying her employer had strangled her.
The employer was reportedly discharged this morning.
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The helper’s sister who managed to see the accused in hospital earlier today said she was shocked to see S.L. guarded by several officers, and with her hands in handcuffs.
According to her sister said it was her employer who had taken out the knife along with a pair of scissors, and said she should choose which of the two she wanted to be assaulted with. That was how they ended up fighting.
Before this, the employer reportedly told the helper that she should leave their house on the spot and not wait until her one-month notice of termination had lapsed early next month.
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But before leaving, the Filipina was reportedly told she should sign a blank piece of paper addressed to Hong Kong Immigration, admitting fault. The Filipina resisted, and started taking a video of their encounter with her phone, angering the employer.
Their tussling ensued after the employer reportedly tried to grab the helper’s phone.
A video uploaded by a neighbor shows the two pushing at each other, while the Filipina shouted “ate, ate,” apparently calling the attention of a fellow helper who lived nearby.
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According to the sister, the one who took the video and called the police was a local Chinese neighbor who let S.L. in after she ran away from her employer, and has even volunteered to testify on the helper’s behalf.
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| A neighbor at the housing block reportedly offered to testify for the Filipina |
Earlier, S.L. had reportedly served a month’s notice of termination to her employer, which was due to lapse early next month.
S.L., who had been with her employer for just three months but had previously worked in Hong Kong, had reportedly complained of ill-treatment, being made to sleep in the living room, and not having any place to store her personal belongings.
She was also reportedly scared of being blamed should anything bad happens to her frisky young wards, one of whom was nearly hit by a tram recently after breaking free from her restraining hand.
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