Melbourne couple charged with slavery and abuse of Indonesian woman
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 in Malaysia, moved to Australia with the couple in 2017 but was left homeless for four years after they returned to Malaysia without informing her. In 2022, Chong allegedly forced her to work off a debt, subjected her to beatings, restricted her food, sleep, and movement, and treated her as a domestic slave, demanding she perform tasks like cooking, cleaning, and massaging his legs. The couple denies these claims, stating she moved in voluntarily to help with their second childâs birth and that she was homeless. The woman, who died in 2024, had severe injuries when she fled, including malnutrition and physical abuse. Both sources agree on the core allegations and charges but differ slightly on specific details like punishments and the circumstances of their initial meeting.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Chee Kit âMaxâ Chong and Angi Yeh Ling Liaw are facing trial in Victoriaâs 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, restrictions on food, sleep, and movement, and forced to perform domestic labor including cooking, cleaning, and massaging Chongâs 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 Vincentâs 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 Chongâs church, and she later moved to Melbourne with them in 2017
- The woman was allegedly told she could leave if she paid a million dollars, otherwise she had to stay
- The couple denied forcing the woman to work off a debt or assaulting her, claiming she moved in voluntarily to help with their second childâs birth
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Prosecutor Shaun Ginsbourg SC explicitly stated the woman described the relationship as âHeâs a master, Iâm a maid. Iâm a helper onlyâ
- The woman was allegedly forced to sleep on the stairs or in the garage after initially being given a bedroom
- The prosecutor mentioned the womanâs movements and communications were heavily restricted by Chong
- The womanâs family and church members had to provide her with money to continue helping Chong due to his financial problems
- The couple allegedly returned to Malaysia without telling the woman in 2017, leaving her homeless for four years
- The woman was working at an op shop in early 2022 when Chong asked her to assist his family for a month after their second child was born
- The ABC article includes a specific mention of Chong allegedly hitting the woman with a vacuum cleaner after she fell asleep during a leg massage
- The ABC article highlights that the woman was ordered to stand up all night to prevent her from sleeping
- The ABC article notes that local medical clinics and a hospital documented the womanâs injuries in the final months of her time with the couple
- The ABC article includes a quote from Chongâs defence lawyer Diana Price suggesting the complainant may have exaggerated or embellished claims
- The ABC article specifies that Chong told police he had met the woman on the streets of Melbourne and took pity on her due to her homelessness
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- NEWSCOMAU reports the woman was initially given a bedroom but later forced to sleep on the stairs or in the garage, while ABC does not specify the initial sleeping arrangements
- NEWSCOMAU states the woman was working at an op shop in early 2022 when Chong asked her to assist, but ABC does not mention this detail
- NEWSCOMAU says the couple returned to Malaysia without telling the woman in 2017, leaving her homeless for four years, while ABC does not explicitly state the duration of her homelessness
- NEWSCOMAU mentions the womanâs family and church members had to provide her with money to help Chong, but ABC does not include this detail
- ABC reports Chong allegedly hit the woman with a vacuum cleaner after she fell asleep during a massage, while NEWSCOMAU does not mention this specific punishment
Source Articles
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