Immigrant maid describes beatings, torture

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Nov. 6 (UPI) -- An immigrant from Indonesia testified that the woman she worked for in New York beat her and kept her so short of food she ate garbage.

The woman, testifying at the trial of Varsha and Mahender Sabhnanil, was identified only as Samirah. She said that life in their house in the enclave of Muttontown on Long Island's North Shore was so miserable she just wanted to leave, The New York Post reported.

"I said, 'Missus, just send me home to Indonesia,' " she told a jury Monday.

On Tuesday, the judge suspended proceedings for the day because the two court-certified interpreters, a married couple, were absent because the wife was sick, Newsday reported.

Samirah described being forced to eat chili peppers and then hot pepper mixed in water with salt, the Post said. When she threw up, her mistress forced her to eat her vomit, she said.

Sabhnani's lawyer says that Samirah and another maid who is scheduled to testify mutilated themselves in witchcraft rituals.