Fear of rape: I saw my employer touching his private parts, says Hong Kong domestic helper
Employer faces indecent and common assault charges, which he denies
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 24 February, 2016, 8:50pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 24 February, 2016, 9:20pm
Chris Lau
[email protected]
The employer is facing indecent and common assault charges in Kwun Tong Court. Photo: SCMP Pictures
A Filipino domestic worker cried and sat up late, for fear that she could be raped by her employer, who was caught on camera allegedly exposing his penis. The maid also saw him masturbating on another occasion, Kwun Tong Court heard on Wednesday.
After noticing that employer Shek Kwok-ngai had allegedly fondled his private parts behind her on three occasions in 2014, domestic worker X decided to set up a camera at his Mong Kok home.
The video, which was played in court yesterday, showed the employer taking out his penis for seconds near a refrigerator in the kitchen, while gazing towards the camera placed near X.
“I was disgusted within,” said X, when asked how she felt viewing the video for the first time. Her identity cannot be revealed for legal reasons.
Shek , 43, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of indecent assault and one of common assault on X between February 26 and March 3, 2014.
Continuing with her testimony, X broke into tears: “When I heard voices at night, I would sit up because I was worried that somebody would enter my room ... He could enter my room and rape me.”
The domestic worker later left Shek’s home. A social worker X sought help from eventually arranged for her to return to the flat to collect her belongings, she told the court.
X recalled that Shek, at one point, took out “a small cup of tea” and gave it to her as a sign of apology before she left. She was also told by Shek that he suffered from depression because he had lost his job.
X asked to be allowed to pack her belongings and get money so she could repay her agent.
But she was told by Shek’s wife that she would not get anything unless she agreed to delete the video.
She eventually left, leaving her belongings behind, she said. But Shek chased after her, carrying his child.
“He was saying that I should pity his child and that I should not make any trouble,” she recalled.
Senior public prosecutor Anna Lai alleged that on February 26, X saw Shek masturbate from a reflection on a TV screen while she was looking after his daughter.
Later that day, Shek allegedly exposed his private parts again, causing X, who saw the reflection in a glass cabinet, to spill the soup she was giving to the girl.
Lai alleged that Shek touched his genitals over his clothing near X the next day.
And the day after, X said, Shek allegedly breathed heavily behind her, which Lai argued amounted to common assault.
Then came the alleged incident captured on camera at the beginning of March, the court heard.
Shek’s barrister, Selwyn Yu SC, challenged X’s credibility in cross-examination.
He also asked why X instructed her lawyers to send a six-figure civil claim to his client two weeks prior to the trial. X said she did not instruct her lawyers to send the letter of claim.
The trial continues on Thursday before Magistrate Vennie Chiu Wai-yee.
