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Melbourne couple charged with slavery and abuse of Indonesian woman

4 April 20262 articles from 2 sources

Consensus Summary

A Melbourne couple, Chee Kit Chong and Angi 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 who met Chong in Malaysia in 2015, was initially offered temporary shelter after the couple’s second child was born. Prosecutors allege she was subjected to severe abuse, including beatings, sleep deprivation, and starvation, while forced to perform domestic labor. Chong is accused of treating her as his property, demanding she work off a debt and even offering to let her leave only if she paid a million dollars. The couple denies the charges, claiming they took her in out of pity for her homelessness. The woman’s injuries—documented by hospitals and clinics—led to police intervention, and she died in 2024, unrelated to the case. Both sources agree on the core allegations but differ slightly in phrasing and specific details about punishments and the woman’s conditions.

✓ Verified by 2+ sources

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 January 2022 until she fled in October 2022
  • The woman was allegedly subjected to beatings, restrictions on food, sleep, and movement, and forced to perform domestic labor including cooking, cleaning, and massaging Chong’s legs
  • Chong is charged with intentionally possessing a slave and three counts of common assault; 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 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 before returning to Melbourne
  • The woman was initially offered a temporary stay for a month after the couple’s second child was born in early 2022
  • The alleged victim’s injuries were documented by medical staff at St Vincent’s Hospital and local clinics before she fled
  • The Australian Federal Police were called after the woman reported threats to turn her into immigration authorities and assaults for perceived poor work

Points of Difference

Details reported by only one source:

NEWSCOMAUSTRALIA
  • Prosecutor Shaun Ginsbourg SC explicitly stated the woman described the relationship changing to ‘He’s a master, I’m a maid. I’m a helper only’
  • The prosecutor mentioned the woman was told she could leave if she paid a million dollars, but otherwise had to stay
  • The defense barrister Diana Price emphasized the woman’s contributions were ‘nothing different to what you might expect in a family of three adults and two children’
  • The trial is expected to run for several weeks before Judge Michael Cahill
  • The woman’s death was explicitly described as ‘unconnected to the case’ by the prosecutor
ABC News
  • The ABC included a photograph of Chong and Liaw leaving the County Court of Victoria on trial day, with captions from AAP: Mollie McPherson and Jay Kogler
  • The ABC noted the woman’s ‘unlawful immigration status’ made her vulnerable to exploitation
  • The ABC specified the woman was allegedly hit with a vacuum cleaner after falling asleep during a leg massage
  • The ABC mentioned the couple’s defense lawyer Diana Price suggested the complainant may have ‘exaggerate[d] or embellish[ed]’ claims
  • The ABC included a Facebook profile photo of Chong with the caption ‘Chong Chee Kit’

Contradictions

Conflicting information between sources:

  • NEWSCOMAU reports the woman was forced to sleep on the stairs or in the garage, while ABC does not specify the garage detail but confirms sleep deprivation
  • NEWSCOMAU states the woman was told she could leave if she paid a million dollars, but ABC does not mention this exact figure or condition
  • NEWSCOMAU’s prosecutor explicitly says Chong ‘dictated access to food and facilities,’ while ABC’s prosecutor focuses more on ‘deprivation of food’ without the same phrasing
  • NEWSCOMAU’s defense lawyer Diana Price frames the woman’s work as ‘sometimes’ assisting at home, while ABC’s defense lawyer suggests the complainant may have exaggerated claims without specifying frequency
  • ABC includes specific details about the woman’s injuries (swelling to legs) not explicitly mentioned in NEWSCOMAU’s summary of medical findings

Source Articles

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
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