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Eddie Lee

An appeals court judge has warned that an abusive employer jailed for assaulting Indonesian former domestic worker Erwiana Sulistyaningsih could face even longer time in jail if the former boss continued to pursue her appeal.
In rejecting a bid by Law Wan-tung to clear her own name, the Court of Appeal questioned whether any attempt by Law to continue her legal challenge would do her any good.
Law, who hired Erwiana from March 2013 to January 2014, went before the Court of Appeal last week to ask for permission to advance her appeal against her convictions and sentence of six years imprisonment on the grounds that a lower court failed to note discrepancies in Erwiana’s evidence.
Employer who abused domestic worker Erwiana Sulistyaningsih loses appeal bid
In a 46-page ruling handed down on Friday, Mr Justice Michael Lunn, the court’s vice-president, said he found none of the grounds of appeal against conviction to be reasonably arguable.
He added it was not reasonably arguable that the lower court handling the case had taken into account Law’s uncharged acts in determining her sentence.
Clearly, a deterrent sentence is required
Mr Justice Michael Lunn
Echoing a ruling in a separate case, Lunn said the court needed to “protect the interests of vulnerable domestic helpers and to articulate society’s abhorrence of such [violent] conduct”.
“Clearly, a deterrent sentence is required,” he said.
While Law had the right to ask again for permission to appeal, such an attempt might mean she risked serving even more time behind bars, the judge noted.
“I warned her that if she did so and the Court of Appeal determined that she did so without justification, it has power to make a direction for ‘loss of time’,” he said, referring to a possibility that some or all of the time Law served in custody before a fresh hearing might not count towards her final sentence.
Last year Law was convicted of 18 of 20 charges, eight of which accused the mother of assaulting and criminally intimidating Erwiana and another Indonesian maid, Tutik Lestari Ningsih.
Documentary takes plight of abused domestic worker Erwiana Sulistyaningsih from Hong Kong to the world
During the trial, the District Court heard shocking details of how Erwiana was punched by Law so hard that her teeth were fractured. Law also twisted a metal tube from a vacuum cleaner in Erwiana’s mouth, causing cuts to her lips.


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Erwiana Sulistyaningsih

Keep appealing and you could be in jail longer, Hong Kong judge tells Erwiana’s convicted ex-boss

Law Wan-tung, pictured in 2014, was convicted last year of assaulting, intimidating and failing to pay Erwiana Sulistyaningsih. Photo: AP

Employer who abused domestic worker Erwiana Sulistyaningsih loses appeal bid

Law Wan-tung, former employer of Indonesian domestic helper Erwiana Sulistyaningsih. Photo: Sam Tsang

Documentary takes plight of abused domestic worker Erwiana Sulistyaningsih from Hong Kong to the world

Members of the Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body make their views known during the screening of a film on Erwiana’s plight. Photo: Felix Wong

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Erwiana Sulistyaningsih (white headscarf, centre), on a return visit to the city. Photo: Felix Wong

Photo of Erwiana Sulistyaningsih (white scarf), who's in Hong Kong. Pictures taken in Victoria Park. 26MAR16 SCMP/Felix Wong

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Court cites need to protect ‘vulnerable domestic helpers’ in rejecting bid by former employer of abused Indonesian national


Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

Keep appealing and you could be in jail longer, Hong Kong judge tells Erwiana’s convicted ex-boss

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Court cites need to protect ‘vulnerable domestic helpers’ in rejecting bid by former employer of abused Indonesian national

Court cites need to protect ‘vulnerable domestic helpers’ in rejecting bid by former employer of abused Indonesian national