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Melbourne couple charged with slavery and abuse of Indonesian woman

Just now2 articles from 2 sources

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, a pastor in Malaysia before moving to Australia, was initially invited to stay for a month to help with the couple’s second child but was subjected to violent control, food deprivation, and forced labor. Prosecutors allege Chong treated her as property, demanding she work off a perceived debt after she was blamed for losing his company credit card, while also restricting her sleep and movement. Both accused repeatedly denied the charges, with Chong claiming the woman volunteered for tasks and Liaw insisting they took her in out of compassion. Medical records confirm the victim suffered severe injuries, including malnutrition and physical trauma, before escaping to a hospital. The trial, which began in early 2024, centers on whether the couple’s actions constituted slavery under Victorian law, with defense lawyers questioning the victim’s credibility and emphasizing her contributions as voluntary. The case highlights vulnerabilities faced by undocumented migrants, as prosecutors argue her unlawful immigration status made her particularly susceptible to exploitation.

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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 Victoria’s 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 child’s 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 Chong’s demands.
  • The alleged victim was ordered to perform domestic tasks including cleaning, cooking, and massaging Chong’s legs, with violent punishments for failure (e.g., hit with a vacuum cleaner).
  • The woman’s injuries—including a swollen ear, lacerations, and malnutrition—were documented by St Vincent’s 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 woman due to her 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 Chong’s church, and she later moved to Australia with them in 2017 on a tourist visa.
  • The woman was left homeless in Malaysia for four years after the couple returned without informing her in 2017.
  • The trial began in early 2024 in Melbourne’s County Court, 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:

ABC News
  • Prosecutor Shaun Ginsbourg S.C. stated Chong told the victim she could leave if she paid a million dollars, framing it as a literal demand for ransom.
  • The defense lawyer Diana Price suggested the victim may have exaggerated or embellished claims about abuse, sleep deprivation, and food restriction.
  • ABC included specific details about the victim’s medical records noting injuries over the final months, including those documented by local clinics and a hospital.
  • ABC mentioned Chong’s previous establishment of a ‘mother-son’ relationship with the victim, describing her as a pastor in Malaysia before their move to Australia.
  • ABC highlighted that Chong blamed the victim for the loss of a company credit card as the catalyst for her forced labor and debt repayment demands.
NEWSCOMAAU
  • Prosecutor Shaun Ginsbourg S.C. described the victim’s financial support for Chong as extensive, stating she used almost all her money to help him and had to borrow from family and church members.
  • NEWSCOMAU emphasized the victim’s statement that her relationship with Chong shifted to ‘he’s a master, I’m a maid’ after the credit card incident.
  • The article noted that Chong and Liaw claimed they took the victim in out of pity for her homelessness and denied restricting her food or assaulting her.
  • NEWSCOMAU included the defense lawyer Daniel Gurvich KC’s argument that Liaw’s role in the alleged slavery was minimal and there was little evidence against her.
  • The article specified the victim ran away on October 7, 2022, and presented to St Vincent’s Hospital the same day with documented injuries.

Contradictions

Conflicting information between sources:

  • ABC reports the victim was allegedly told she could leave if she paid a million dollars, while NEWSCOMAU does not explicitly state this exact demand but focuses on the victim’s financial support for Chong.
  • ABC’s defense lawyer Diana Price suggests the victim may have exaggerated claims about abuse, while NEWSCOMAU’s defense lawyer Daniel Gurvich KC focuses on questioning the victim’s credibility regarding the slavery allegations but does not explicitly mention embellishment.
  • ABC states the victim was forced to sleep on the stairs or garage from early 2022, while NEWSCOMAU does not specify the exact timeline for when this restriction began beyond it occurring during her stay.
  • ABC includes details about the victim’s injuries being noted by local medical clinics and a hospital over the final months, but NEWSCOMAU only mentions St Vincent’s Hospital’s documentation after her October 2022 escape.
  • ABC describes Chong’s denial of ordering tasks as him claiming the victim initiated the work herself, while NEWSCOMAU reports Chong and Liaw denied forcing the victim to work or assaulting her, without specifying his exact denial of task orders.

Source Articles

ABC

Melbourne couple allegedly beat and starved woman enslaved in their home

A court has heard an Indonesian woman was allegedly threatened and coerced to provide domestic services while living with a Melbourne couple....

31 March 2026
NEWSCOMAU

Family kept woman as slave: court

A woman was allegedly beaten and had restrictions placed on her sleep and food consumption as she worked as a slave in a Melbourne home, a jury has been told....

31 March 2026