The Hong Kong woman who was convicted of beating and starving her Indonesian maid and keeping her prisoner has been sentenced to six years in jail.  The judge said that Law Wan-tung “showed no compassion” to the maid and other members of her staff.

During the trial, the District Court heard evidence that Law:  Punched maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih in the mouth, fracturing some teeth;  jammed a metal vacuum cleaner tube in her mouth, cutting her lip;  and hit her on the back with a feather duster when she was sleeping.  Law subjected Erwiana to bizarre punishments, such as forcing her to stand naked in the bathroom during winter while she splashed water on and pointed a fan at her.  Erwiana worked for Law for about eight months starting in June 2013, and was not allowed any days off and was not paid her salary.

When Erwiana made it back home to central Java, she was beaten and bruised, too weak to walk and without any money.  Her face, hands and legs were covered with scabs and lacerations.  Parts of her skin were blackened and peeling.  Photos made headlines in the local media, and then sparked international outrage.

There are about 330,000 foreign domestic helpers working in Hong Kong.  Almost all are female and most are from the Philippines or Indonesia.  They earn a minimum wage of about A$640 a month, much of it being sent back home to their families.