A 31-year-old Filipina domestic worker has filed a complaint with police against her male employer over four alleged indecent assaults against her.
Helen – not her real name – went to Wanchai police station with two officers from the Philippine Consulate on Monday after leaving her employer’s house in Kowloon’s Diamond Hill and filing a complaint at the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO), sunwebhk.com reported.
Helen, who had worked in Hong Kong for only five months, said in her statement that the assaults happened on four occasions in January and February this year. On January 15, Helen was about to put the employer’s 8-month old baby into her crib when the employer reportedly approached her from behind and pressed his private parts against her buttocks.
The male employer assaulted her again on February 7.
Helen was afraid she would lose her job. She told a friend about the incidents, but was told that she might have just misinterpreted the employer’s intent. Helen said she sought advice from another Filipina worker next door and other people.
On February 15, the employer allegedly repeated the assault, but this time his sex organ was exposed. The employer allegedly indecently assaulted Helen again on February 21. The man reportedly kept saying “sorry, this is my personal problem.” He then dragged her to the bathroom and tried to indecently assault her.
Helen ran to her bedroom but the employer followed, adding that he warned her not to tell his wife. Helen said she was afraid to tell the wife because she was heavy-handed and was not easy to talk to. Helen headed to a migrant support organization on March 2 to ask for help.
On March 10, Helen decided to leave her employer’s house. She sought advice and shelter from POLO, which referred her to the assistance to nationals section of the Consulate. She filed a complaint with Hong Kong police the following day.