Hong Kong, China – A 36-year-old international home employee in Hong Kong was on her solution to throw out the garbage when her Swedish employer arrived dwelling late one evening in October 2022.
X, as she was recognized in courtroom to guard her id, mentioned he gave the impression to be drunk.
Quickly he was demanding intercourse.
She mentioned she tried to motive with him, rejecting his advances. However he dragged her into his bed room and raped her, regardless of her repeated calls to cease.
“He informed me he additionally needed my daughter. He additionally mentioned: ‘I’ll kill you, I’ll hit you,” X recalled, talking through an interpreter at Hong Kong’s Excessive Courtroom in August.
“I used to be terrified and frozen with worry,” the home employee mentioned, stressing she had by no means consented to having sexual relations with him.
In contrast to different domestic workers in comparable conditions, X determined to behave. She moved out of the household’s flat the following morning and went to the police regardless of being the only real breadwinner for her 4 youngsters and realizing she would lose her job and her dwelling.
Almost two years on, a jury final month discovered X’s employer responsible of 1 depend of rape and one depend of buggery with out consent.
“I’m grateful to God that I’m alive and to the Hong Kong authorities that justice was served,” X informed Al Jazeera shortly after the decision. “I’m additionally very grateful to the social staff and everybody who helped me throughout this two-year-journey.”
X’s case is without doubt one of the few profitable rape prosecutions involving a international home employee in Hong Kong, shedding gentle on the challenges confronted by migrant ladies in securing justice. Consultants say many victims don’t press expenses, however they hope X’s win might encourage different survivors to come back ahead.
“We will say it is a victory not just for the sufferer but in addition for all home staff in Hong Kong and world wide,” mentioned Sarah Pun, vice-chair of the Union of Nepalese Home staff in Hong Kong.
She famous that X confronted many challenges in pursuing justice, together with trauma, being aside from her household, and never having an earnings. “We’re pleased with the sufferer and her power for having pursued this case till the top,” she added.
Dolores Balladares, chairwoman of United Filipinos in Hong Kong and spokeswoman for the Asian Migrant Coordinating Physique, agreed: “It’s a constructive growth as a result of justice is difficult to get for home staff. The burden of proof is all the time on our shoulders.”
Balladares notes it’s notably troublesome to report a rape case, “as many individuals will blame the sufferer”.
X’s victory got here a couple of month after a home employee from the Philippines – recognized in courtroom procedures as CB – misplaced a civil declare of 1.06 million Hong Kong {dollars} ($135,982) towards her British employer within the Chinese language territory for alleged sexual assaults. She has since lodged an attraction.
CB’s employer, who initially represented himself, had been sentenced to 30 months in jail on two counts of indecent assault in 2021. He was later acquitted of all expenses after a retrial on procedural and technical grounds, together with points associated to admission of proof.
Scared to come back ahead
There have been 363,576 migrant home staff in Hong Kong as of the top of August. In keeping with a spokesman for the town’s Immigration Division, practically 56 p.c hailed from the Philippines, adopted by about 42 p.c from Indonesia. The remaining have been from international locations similar to India and Thailand.
Advocates mentioned that home staff from ethnic minority backgrounds, like X who’s an Indian nationwide of Nepali origin, have been notably weak to abuse.
Manisha Wijesinghe, govt director of Hong Kong charity HELP for Home Employees, mentioned these in disaster often flip first to their friends. However for these from smaller migrant communities, it may be onerous to search out different staff from the identical nation and even the NGOs might not be capable of present them with a direct response as a consequence of language obstacles.
“These ladies positively face extra issues, however many don’t ever come to gentle,” Wijesinghe mentioned. “They spend their time in Hong Kong and ultimately go away. They’re not often capable of attain out for help.”
She mentioned that her organisation receives on common one case of sexual abuse or harassment each month.
Analysis performed in 2019 by the Progressive Labour Union of Home Employees in Hong Kong confirmed migrant home staff have been at better danger of exploitation as a result of their employment and residing preparations – the place their earnings, meals and lodging rely upon their two-year work contract – create an influence imbalance.
The examine famous that “few migrant home staff utilise the prevailing authorized treatments obtainable in Hong Kong” to implement their rights, as they discover it “costly” and “time-consuming”.
A spokeswoman for the Affiliation Regarding Sexual Violence Towards Ladies, which promotes gender fairness in Hong Kong, mentioned that “some insurance policies place international home staff in a very weak place, particularly once they face sexual abuse and are caught within the dilemma of whether or not or to not report it.”
For instance, the rule requiring home staff to stay with their employers in Hong Kong can successfully “block victim-survivors from accessing medicolegal help.”
Those that break their contracts have been accused of job hopping and plenty of worry that may forestall them from getting future visas.
On the similar time, she mentioned, many home staff fear about having to go away the town inside 14 days of termination or completion of their contracts.
Some victims of sexual abuse or harassment are additionally reluctant to come back ahead for cultural causes.
“There may be nonetheless a stigma, they’re so embarrassed, they assume: ‘Who am I to convey one thing up in a spot like this, the place they give the impression of being down on us?’” mentioned Cynthia Abdon-Tellez, who heads Mission for Migrant Employees, a gaggle that gives help providers for migrant staff in Hong Kong.
She added that it was “uncommon” for a migrant employee like X to offer testimony in courtroom in a sexual abuse case.
‘Typically caught in limbo’
Wijesinghe agreed that the majority home staff discover the authorized system intimidating.
She countered claims that home staff file abuse circumstances for monetary achieve. “There are a lot simpler methods of getting a fast payout,” mentioned the previous paralegal, noting that victims typically must relive their trauma a number of instances, endure medical exams, and face cross-examination in open courtroom.
“The sufferer is caught in limbo. Some circumstances take years. It’s not like they level a finger and sit again ready for justice. There’s a lot that the sufferer must undergo,” Wijesinghe mentioned.
The size of the reporting procedures and the lack to offer for his or her households leads some to desert their circumstances.
However even once they undergo the authorized system, analysts mentioned the home staff’ distinctive circumstances might be ignored.
“Now we have noticed that biases and discrimination might come up within the justice system,” the spokeswoman for the Affiliation Regarding Sexual Violence Towards Ladies mentioned. She added that “authorities and professionals typically dismiss or downplay claims with out absolutely appreciating the context and structural oppression confronted by [these workers]”.
Chloe Martin, programme supervisor at Cease Trafficking of Individuals (STOP) – an organisation centered on ending the follow in Hong Kong – mentioned she realized of X’s verdict with “nice reduction”, however famous that extra must be performed on the subject of holding survivors knowledgeable throughout authorized proceedings and supporting them after rulings are made.
X first heard in regards to the choice by the help group and never through official channels.
“Shifting ahead, we urge the justice system to implement strong sufferer notification protocols,” Martin mentioned. “Offering them with well timed updates is a important element of trauma-informed, victim-centred practices that must be the usual.”
Balladares mentioned she hoped X’s case might encourage different staff to come back ahead. “We will say that there’s hope, even when it’s onerous and humiliating.”
Pun additionally referred to as on fellow home staff to hunt assist. “There are various organisations that may help us,” she mentioned. “Silencing ourselves means giving extra possibilities to intercourse predators and dangerous employers.”
Trying to find a brand new life
X continues to be shocked by her expertise.
“I used to be very glad earlier than I got here [to Hong Kong],” she recalled in an unique interview with Al Jazeera. “I assumed I used to be going to earn sufficient to assist my household, however I virtually died and there was a lot hassle.”
X mentioned she had by no means anticipated to be concerned in a courtroom case. “It was painful. Not straightforward [to deal with] so many questions,” mentioned the home employee, who was questioned by the prosecution and the defence lawyer for 3 days. Her testimony was delivered from a closed courtroom by a videolink, holding her out of sight of the general public and the media.
X turned emotional whereas recounting components of the rape in courtroom, however discovered it “most troublesome to listen to the defence’s lies”.
In the course of the eight-day trial, the employer, whose spouse and three youngsters had left for Japan, denied that he compelled himself on her. As a substitute, he claimed they’d consensual intercourse and that the home employee had initiated it – not simply that one time, but in addition twice earlier than.
Patrik Tobias Ekstrom, a Hong Kong-based businessman two years youthful than X, testified that in these alleged sexual encounters, and on different events inside the house, she stored asking for monetary help to repay a mortgage in her dwelling nation.
He’s anticipated to be sentenced on November 11 and is going through a life time period.
Regardless of profitable the case, X mentioned her ordeal was not over. She has been unable to work since leaving her former employer’s dwelling and has principally relied on charity to get her by the courtroom course of.
She can be involved in regards to the response of a few of her kinfolk. “How am going to face my brother and my male cousin?” X informed Al Jazeera.
The migrant girl mentioned she plans to return dwelling for a short while after the sentence after which work for an additional household in Hong Kong.
“I had a really dangerous expertise, however I believe Hong Kong is an efficient place,” she mentioned.
X urged staff who could also be going through comparable points to obtained to the police.
Her expertise has additionally prompted her to speak to her daughters about sexual abuse and harassment. “I inform them to not preserve quiet … Converse up and sort out the difficulty the suitable means.”