Melbourne couple charged with slavery and abuse of Indonesian woman
Consensus Summary
A Melbourne couple, Chee Kit Chong and Angie Yeh Ling Liaw, are on trial for allegedly enslaving an Indonesian woman in their Point Cook home from early 2022 until she fled in October. The woman, who had a prior relationship with Chong dating back to Malaysia in 2015, was initially invited to stay for a month to help with the coupleâs second child but was later subjected to extreme control, violence, and deprivation. Both sources confirm she was beaten, starved, and forced to perform domestic labor under threat, with injuries documented by medical professionals. The couple denies wrongdoing, claiming they took pity on the womanâs homelessness and that her contributions were voluntary. The trial, which began in February 2024, centers on whether Chongâs actions amounted to slavery, with prosecutors arguing his behaviorâincluding dictating her access to food, sleep, and freedomâdemonstrated ownership over her. The victimâs unlawful immigration status and prior vulnerability, after being abandoned in Malaysia, are key factors in her exploitation. While both articles agree on core events, discrepancies exist in specifics like the victimâs exact punishments and the coupleâs motivations, with ABC emphasizing financial coercion and NEWSCOMAU highlighting emotional manipulation and financial dependency.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Chee Kit Chong and Angie Yeh Ling Liaw, Malaysian nationals, are facing slavery charges in Victoriaâs County Court for allegedly keeping an Indonesian woman in slave-like conditions from January 2022 to October 2022.
- The alleged victim, a 61-year-old Indonesian woman, was initially invited to live with the couple for a month in early 2022 to assist with their second childâs birth but was forced to stay longer.
- The woman was allegedly beaten, deprived of food, and forced to sleep on the stairs or garage as punishment for not meeting Chongâs demands.
- The alleged victim was ordered to perform domestic tasks including cleaning, cooking, and massaging Chongâs legs, with violent punishments for failure (e.g., hit with a vacuum cleaner).
- The womanâs injuriesâincluding a swollen ear, lacerations, and malnutritionâwere documented by St Vincentâs Hospital in October 2022 after she fled.
- Chong and Liaw pleaded not guilty to the charges, with Chong denying ordering tasks or restricting food/sleep, and Liaw claiming they took pity on the womanâs homelessness.
- The alleged victim died in 2024, but prosecutors state her death is unrelated to the case.
- The couple first met the woman in Malaysia in 2015 when she was a pastor at Chongâs church, and she later moved to Australia with them in 2017 on a tourist visa.
- The couple allegedly abandoned the woman in Malaysia in 2017, leaving her homeless for four years before recontacting her in 2021.
- The trial began in February 2024, with Chong charged with possessing a slave and three counts of common assault, while Liaw faces assisting/encouraging the slavery offence.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Prosecutor Shaun Ginsbourg S.C. stated Chong told the victim she could leave if she paid a million dollars, framing it as a literal quote: 'If she paid a million dollars she could leave.'
- ABC reported the womanâs medical records from local clinics and a hospital explicitly noted her injuries in the final months of her ordeal.
- ABC included a specific detail that Chong allegedly hit the victim with a vacuum cleaner after she fell asleep during a leg massage.
- ABC mentioned the womanâs unlawful immigration status was highlighted as a key factor in her vulnerability to exploitation.
- ABC provided a direct quote from Chongâs defence lawyer Diana Price: 'There may be reasons [the complainant] may exaggerate or embellish or say things that are untruthful.'
- NEWSCOMAU included the victimâs alleged direct quote about her changed role: 'Heâs a master, Iâm a maid. Iâm a helper only.'
- The source emphasized Chongâs financial struggles and the victimâs repeated financial support for him, stating she 'used almost all her money to help him.'
- NEWSCOMAU noted the victim was working at an op shop in early 2022 before being asked to assist the couple.
- The source highlighted that Chongâs defence lawyer Diana Price asked jurors to consider whether the victimâs contributions were 'anything different to what you might expect in a family of three adults and two children.'
- NEWSCOMAU mentioned that Daniel Gurvich KC for Liaw stated there was 'very little evidence' related to his client, implying minimal involvement.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC reports the woman was allegedly forced to sleep on the stairs *or* garage, while NEWSCOMAU states she was forced to sleep on the stairs *and* in the garage.
- ABC includes a direct quote from Chongâs defence lawyer Diana Price about potential exaggeration by the victim, but NEWSCOMAU does not attribute this exact phrasing to her.
- ABC states the woman was ordered to clean the house, do washing up, and massage Chongâs legs, while NEWSCOMAU only mentions cleaning, cooking, and massaging his legs (omitting washing up).
- NEWSCOMAU emphasizes Chongâs financial problems and the victimâs repeated financial aid, while ABC does not highlight this as a central detail in the victimâs exploitation.
- ABC reports Chong allegedly told the victim she could leave if she paid a million dollars, but NEWSCOMAU does not include this specific financial demand as a direct quote.
Source Articles
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