Jury Rules Domestic Worker Died Of Natural Causes

A four-person jury at the Coroners' Court on Wednesday ruled that a 46-year-old Filipino domestic worker found unconscious in her employer's home in 2017 died of natural causes, following a week-long inquest.

The jurors returned the verdict on the death of Leonita Arcillas Quinto after more than four hours of deliberation, and concluded that the migrant worker's cause of death was unknown.

They recommended that the police immediately obtain all relevant documents from the employment agency when handling cases of illegal activities, bodily harm, or death involving foreign domestic workers in future.

The jury also advised the Labour Department to ensure agencies keep all necessary records for at least the duration of employment, adding that both employers and employees should each retain a copy of the worker's medical record.

Coroner Stanley Ho, meanwhile, said police officers should launch an investigation to see whether the employment agency had violated regulations or laws by not keeping the victim's records on file.

He also suggested that the police look into the employer who failed to inform the force that she had been in a dispute with Quinto.

Quinto came to Hong Kong in late 2016 to work for a family of four at Mei Foo and was said to have complained about her working conditions.

She was found unconscious in her employer's house months after and was later pronounced dead.