Torture At Korean Ambassador’s Flat

Antoinette Nyoagbe washes the clothes and dishes, scrubs the toilet and does general cleaning for Korean Ambassador and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Lee-Sam Pal at their plush airport residential area mansion.

Their Aide, Sunhye-Yun, from Korea who also acts as a cook, has been subjecting Antoinette to physical assaults, the last of which let to the House help collapsing and being rushed to the Nyaho Clinic and later referred to the 37 Military Hospital. This has already been confirmed by the Airport Police as well as a medical report issued by the 37 Military Hospital.

Narrating her ordeal to The Crusading GUIDE, Antoinette, who looked pale and sick, said that Sunhye-Yun had been beating and maltreating her in the house, threatening her not to tell anyone about the assault or she would lose her job.

''But I could not stop the work because of the $80 dollars I am paid every month, until she (Sunhye Yun) hit me to the point of collapse and was rushed to the hospital. They kidnapped me and told me never to report to the police.

On the first assault, Sunhye-Yun hit my head against the wall till my head got swollen, and tore my dress, saying that I was not hardworking,'' narrated Antoinette. The house-help submitted that after Sunhye-Yun had beaten her, she told her not to tell anyone, not even the wife of the Ambassador.

On the second assault, Antoinette said that she washed a pan with a sponge and Sunhye-Yun was not happy about that'' She started yelling at me and with a hard blow pushed me, and my chest hit the sink, so I started screaming. Then she told me she would destroy my life by making sure I am sacked'', said the house help.

She added that when Mrs. Lee-Sam Pal came and she reported the case to her, Sunhye-Yun told her that she just patted her (house help) on the shoulder and did not understand why she was weeping like that.

On another occasion, Antoinette said Sunhye-Yun hit her head several times with a ladle in the kitchen, saying that she did not feel comfortable in her presence.

Concerning the assault leading to the girl being rushed to the Nyaho Clinic and later transferred to 37 Military Hospital, Antoinette said that she was washing towels when all of a sudden Sunhye-Yun charged on her, I was already very sick and I complained I could not continue with the work, my stomach was paining me, but she hit me.

Then I fell and I later woke up and saw myself receiving drips at the hospital'', Antoinette narrated, with her eyes glistering with tears.

'' I was admitted at the Nyaho Clinic at Airport and later transferred to 37 Military Hospital'', she told The Crusading GUIDE, adding that she was told by the driver of the Ambassador that the Korean did not want their official car to pick her to the hospital when she collapsed '' so he (driver) told me that he was queried, for taking me to the hospital in the car and was asked, why he did not hire a taxi to do that'', Antoinette disclosed.

Mr. and Mrs. Lee-Sam Pal, according to Antoinette, requested that she pays an amount of ¢402, being the cost of the medical treatment at Nyaho Clinic. ''This was again communicated to me by Sunhye-Yun, the girl who assaulted me,'' she added.

The Airport Police personnel who had gathered some information about the assault, attempted to enter the Ambassador's residence but were stopped by the security guards, Antoinette was also holed up in the house and given a 24-hour surveillance to prevent her from reporting the case to the police that fateful day when she was discharged from the hospital.

Officials of the Nyaho Clinic have also told newsmen that the girl was admitted there and strangely transferred to another hospital, though she had not recovered: A medical report form issued by the Airport Police was given to the house-help to go for a further check-up at 37 Military Hospital.

The report dated 28/1/2004 and signed by Dr. HQ Mensah, Senior Medical Officer of the Hospital, revealed that '' Patient was assaulted by a cook at the Korean Ambassador's house. She sustained generalized bodily injuries with multiple bruising. She complained of blurred vision''.