A Filipino domestic helper’s claim for HK$1.06 million (P7.9 million) against her former employer, retired doctor Brian Drew Apthorp, was dismissed by Hong Kong’s District Court. The helper had alleged that Apthorp sexually assaulted her over an eight-month period between 2018 and 2019.
The court ruled on July 23 that her allegations were “bursting with inherent improbabilities.” Deputy Judge David Chan found the helper’s assertions “improbable, unimaginable, and illogical,” which outweighed the “inconsistent and self-contradictory” account of the defendant.
The helper, who was 40 at the time of the alleged incidents, claimed she was assaulted during a medical checkup in September 2018. She accused Apthorp of undressing her, molesting her, and demanding daily massages during which he would lie naked and masturbate. She also claimed he made her whip him weekly and watch a sex video involving him and previous helpers.
Judge Chan noted several discrepancies in her statements, including differences between her court testimony and previous criminal trials in 2020 and 2022, which ended in Apthorp’s acquittal. He questioned why she signed the employment contract shortly after the alleged assault and why she didn’t report the incidents to friends, her church, or her boyfriend.
Chan also found Apthorp’s defense unconvincing, pointing out his inconsistent explanations regarding the medical procedure and his contradictory statements about using sexual instruments.
Apthorp had been jailed for 30 months on two counts of indecent assault, but these convictions were overturned on appeal. A retrial in 2022 resulted in his acquittal on all charges.