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 between early 2022 and October 2022. The woman, who had previously lived with the couple in Australia and Malaysia, was invited back to assist with their second child but was instead subjected to severe abuse, including beatings, food and sleep deprivation, and forced labor. She was allegedly made to sleep on the stairs or in the garage and was punished for perceived failures with assaults. The coupleâs defence denies most allegations, claiming the woman was homeless and they took pity on her, while prosecutors argue her vulnerable immigration status and financial dependence made her highly exploitable. The victim, who died in 2024, was found by hospital staff in October 2022 with severe injuries, including malnutrition and physical trauma, after allegedly fleeing the coupleâs home. The trial, which began in early 2024, centers on whether the coupleâs actions constituted slavery and assault, with both defendants pleading not guilty. Witnesses and medical records support the prosecutionâs claims of systemic control and abuse, though the defence seeks to downplay the severity of the victimâs claims.
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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 enslaving an Indonesian woman in their Point Cook home between January and October 2022
- The alleged victim, a 61-year-old Indonesian woman, was initially invited to stay for a month in early 2022 to assist with the coupleâs second child but was forced into servitude for nearly a year
- The woman was allegedly beaten, deprived of food and sleep, and forced to sleep on the stairs or in the garage as punishment for perceived failures
- Chee Kit Chong is charged with intentionally possessing a slave and three counts of common assault, while Angie Yeh Ling Liaw is charged with assisting or encouraging the slavery offence
- The alleged victim was found by hospital staff in October 2022 with injuries including a swollen ear, lacerations, leg swelling, and signs of malnutrition
- The woman died in 2024, but prosecutors state her death is unrelated to the case
- The couple met the woman in Malaysia in 2015 when she was a pastor at the church Chong attended, 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 inviting her back to Australia in 2021
- The trial began in early 2024, with both defendants pleading not guilty
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, and that Chong âdictated her access to food and facilitiesâ
- The victim allegedly fell asleep during a leg massage and was hit with a vacuum cleaner as punishment
- The coupleâs defence lawyer Diana Price suggested the victim may have âexaggerated or embellishedâ claims of abuse, sleep deprivation, and food restriction
- The victim was described as having worked as a âslaveâ for several months, with the couple allegedly controlling her life heavily after blaming her for a lost company credit card
- The coupleâs defence denied ordering the victim to perform tasks, claiming it was her idea to assist
- Angie Yeh Liaw told police she and Chong met the victim on Melbourne streets and took pity on her homelessness, denying restricting food access
- Prosecutor Shaun Ginsbourg S.C. stated the victim described the relationship shift as âHeâs a master, Iâm a maid. Iâm a helper onlyâ
- The victim allegedly described Chong as having âmoney problemsâ and her giving him money frequently, leading to financial dependence
- The defence lawyer for Chong, Diana Price, asked jurors to consider whether the victimâs contributions were âanything different to what you might expect in a family of three adults and two childrenâ
- The defence for Angie Yeh Ling Liaw, Daniel Gurvich KC, stated there was âvery little evidenceâ directly implicating her in the slavery offence
- The coupleâs defence claimed they paid for the victimâs expenses and denied limiting her access to food, despite prosecutors alleging severe deprivation
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC reports the victim was allegedly hit with a vacuum cleaner after falling asleep during a leg massage, but NEWSCOMAU does not mention this specific incident
- ABC states the couple allegedly abandoned the victim in Malaysia in 2017 and left her homeless for four years, while NEWSCOMAU describes this as âintermittent contactâ without explicitly stating abandonment
- ABCâs defence lawyer Diana Price suggests the victim may have âexaggerated or embellishedâ claims, while NEWSCOMAUâs defence lawyer Diana Price focuses on questioning the context of the victimâs contributions rather than credibility
- NEWSCOMAUâs prosecutor states the victim described Chong as having âmoney problemsâ and her giving him money frequently, but ABC does not explicitly mention this financial dynamic
- ABC reports the couple allegedly told the victim she could leave if she paid a million dollars, but NEWSCOMAU does not include this specific demand in its summary of the prosecutorâs case
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