A Facebook post inciting on taking the protest to the streets
A campaign mobilizing parents in Macau to take to the streets to petition for the regulation of migrant domestic workers has appeared on social media, following the case of a Vietnamese domestic helper who was accused of abusing a two-month old infant she was hired to look after, which has left the baby girl in a life-threatening condition.
The 33-year old helper, surnamed Nguyen, denied the allegations but has been transferred to the Public Prosecution Office on suspicion of committing “grievous bodily harm.”
According to the Judiciary Police (PJ), the baby’s mother hired Nguyen in May to look after the infant. The incident occurred five days after the mother had resumed work after maternity leave. On Monday evening, when the mother returned home from work, she found the baby’s eyelids were red and swollen and her body weak. The infant then fell into a coma. The mother immediately questioned the maid, but she pretended as if nothing had happened and claimed to be unaware of it.
The baby was then sent to the emergency room, where the doctor diagnosed her with brain and retinal hemorrhage, and confirmed it as Shaken Baby Syndrome. Suspecting that the infant was abused, the hospital decided to call the police and informed the mother the next day. As the mother was about to sack the helper and was taking her to the labor agency to proceed with the relevant documentation when she received the call, she informed the police as to the helper’s whereabouts.
The maid was then detained by the police but denied committing the crime. The PJ said its investigation showed the maid had caused the baby severe harm by shaking and slapping her at least three times during the five days when the mother was away at work.
The baby is still hospitalized, while the police are investigating the suspect’s motivation and whether she had a criminal record. Claiming that “a migrant worker with ex-conviction could easily return to Macau for a new job once they paid to change their name back in their home country,” some citizens responded to the incident by initiating and mobilizing a protest among local parents via online social networking groups.
The Macau Women’s General Association representative and lawmaker, Wong Kit Cheng, also held a press conference yesterday, urging the government to explain how it handles criminal cases involving migrant workers. The lawmaker suggested the authorities reinforce clearance checks on migrant workers’ border crossings, immediately mandating to take their fingerprints and prohibiting migrant workers from entering the city with tourist visas.
No Comments