Melbourne couple charged with slavery and abuse of Indonesian woman
Consensus Summary
A Malaysian couple, Chee Kit ‘Max’ Chong and Angi Yeh Ling Liaw, are on trial in Victoria’s County Court for allegedly enslaving an Indonesian woman in their Melbourne home between February and October 2022. The woman, a 61-year-old pastor who had moved to Australia with the couple in 2017, was initially offered a temporary stay to help with their second child’s birth but was later subjected to extreme control, forced labor, and physical abuse. Both sources confirm she was beaten, deprived of food and sleep, and forced to perform domestic tasks under threat of punishment, with Mr Chong allegedly treating her as property. The couple denies these claims, arguing she voluntarily assisted and was not abused, while their defense lawyers question the woman’s credibility. Medical records show she suffered severe injuries, including malnutrition and physical trauma, before fleeing to a hospital where authorities intervened. The woman’s death in 2024 was unrelated to the case, but her ordeal has drawn attention to vulnerabilities faced by undocumented migrants in Australia.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Chee Kit ‘Max’ Chong and Angi Yeh Ling Liaw are facing trial in Victoria’s County Court for slavery-related offences, both pleading not guilty
- The alleged victim was a 61-year-old Indonesian woman who lived with the couple in their Point Cook, Melbourne home from February 2022 until she fled in October 2022
- The woman was allegedly subjected to beatings, restricted food, sleep deprivation, and forced labor as punishment for perceived failures
- Mr Chong is charged with intentionally possessing a slave and three counts of common assault; Ms Liaw is charged with assisting or encouraging the slavery offence
- The woman died in 2024, unrelated to the case, after presenting to St Vincent’s Hospital with injuries including a swollen ear, laceration to the foot, and malnutrition indicators
- The couple first met the woman in Malaysia in 2015 when she was a pastor at Mr Chong’s church, and she later moved to Melbourne with them in 2017
- The couple allegedly left the woman homeless in Malaysia for four years (2017–2021) without informing her they had returned to Australia
- The woman was initially offered a month-long stay in 2022 to assist with the couple’s second child’s birth but was allegedly coerced into staying longer under abusive conditions
- The woman was forced to perform domestic tasks including cooking, cleaning, and massaging Mr Chong’s legs, with punishments for failure including assaults and deprivation of food/sleep
- The couple’s defense denies forced labor, assault, and restrictions on food/sleep, claiming the woman voluntarily assisted and was treated fairly
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Prosecutor Shaun Ginsbourg SC alleged Mr Chong told the woman she could leave if she paid a million dollars, otherwise she had to stay
- The woman described the shift in their relationship as ‘He’s a master, I’m a maid. I’m a helper only’
- The woman was allegedly forced to sleep on the stairs or in the garage after initially being given a bedroom
- The prosecutor noted the woman’s movements and communications were heavily restricted by Mr Chong
- The defense lawyer Diana Price suggested the woman’s contributions were ‘nothing different to what you might expect in a family of three adults and two children’
- Daniel Gurvich KC for Ms Liaw stated there was ‘very little evidence’ directly relating to his client’s actions
- The ABC emphasized the woman was allegedly hit with a vacuum cleaner after falling asleep during a leg massage
- The ABC highlighted that the woman was ordered to stand up all night to prevent sleep and locked in the garage as punishments
- The ABC included a quote from Mr Chong’s defense lawyer Diana Price stating ‘there may be reasons [the complainant] may exaggerate or embellish or say things that are untruthful’
- The ABC noted the woman’s injuries were documented by local medical clinics and a hospital in the final months of her stay
- The ABC specified Mr Chong told police he had met the woman on the streets of Melbourne and took pity on her because she was homeless
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- NEWSCOMAU reports the woman was allegedly told she could leave if she paid a million dollars, but ABC does not mention this specific demand
- NEWSCOMAU states the woman was initially given a bedroom before being forced to sleep on the stairs or garage, while ABC only mentions the stairs/garage without mentioning the initial bedroom
- NEWSCOMAU’s prosecutor describes the woman’s relationship shift as ‘He’s a master, I’m a maid,’ but ABC does not quote this exact phrasing
- ABC reports Mr Chong allegedly hit the woman with a vacuum cleaner after she fell asleep during a massage, but NEWSCOMAU does not mention this specific punishment
- NEWSCOMAU’s defense lawyer Diana Price suggests the woman’s contributions were ‘nothing different to what you might expect in a family,’ while ABC’s defense lawyer focuses on potential exaggeration without this framing
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