A Call for Help

Nguyen Thi Lan* came to Taiwan June 2004 to work as a live-in caregiver. Her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness so she had to leave him and her children behind to earn money for his treatment. Lan’s employer in Taiwan suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. Her responsibility included waking up at 5am to tend to Mr. Chang’s* needs, as well as cooking, cleaning, and other duties. Lan’s workday usually ends at 8pm when she puts Mr. Chang to bed. On weekends, Lan usually helps out at Mrs. Chang’s restaurant during the day.

Though Mr. Chang’s family includes his wife and two children, in reality only the youngest son lives with him. Mrs. Chang and her teenage daughter reside elsewhere. Within a couple of weeks after Lan’s arrival, Mr. Chang began to grope her while she was giving him a massage, as was required. He also ordered her to massage his private parts during his daily bath. When she doesn’t give in to his demands, he would beat her with whatever he can lay his hands on. Oftentimes, he would throw entire pots of food at her and make her cook up to ten different dishes at a time.

Lan called her broker shortly after the sexual harassment began, but was told by the interpreter to just “endure” it. Mr. Chang’s sexual abuse got progressively worse, and he ended up raping her. Lan again called her broker, but her pleas to find another employer were ignored. By August, Lan was getting desperate. Mr. Chang’s escalating verbal, physical and sexual abuse and his repeated threats of sending her back to Vietnam left her depressed and anxious. Lan borrowed over US$1000 to come to Taiwan; her repatriation would ruin her entire family and hasten her husband’s illness.

In early September of 2004, Lan heard about Reverend Peter Nguyen Van Hung through another caretaker and called him asking for help. After hearing her story, Reverend Hung told Lan to immediately catch a taxi and directed the driver to take her to our office. She arrived in tears with just the clothes on her back. Reverend Hung provided her with shelter at the church and with the help of volunteers, took her to the hospital and police station to report the abuse. Volunteers also donated money to help pay off Lan’s debt in Vietnam and to pay for her husband’s medical treatments.

Reverend Hung also found her a pro bono lawyer from the Legal Aid Foundation to pursue a civil lawsuit against her former employer. Our office was successful in requesting the Council of Labor Affairs to transfer her work visa from caretaker to factory worker. After 10 months, Lan is now working at a factory while both her criminal and civil cases are being heard in court.

Though horrendous, Lan’s case is in no way exceptional for foreign caregivers in Taiwan. The lack of fundamental labor rights, such as established work hours, work and living conditions, and protection from abuse make changes in the status quo so critical.

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