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Fiona Chow

Hong Kong’s equality watchdog is seeking about HK$250,000 (US$31,900) in compensation for the family of a domestic helper who was sacked by her employer in 2019 after being diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer and later died.
The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) launched legal proceedings under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance in 2020 against Jamil Bushra for firing Baby Jane Allas in February 2019 while she was on medical leave.
According to the ordinance, it is unlawful for an employer to fire an employee on the grounds of their disability.
Five years after Allas died in 2021 at the age of 40 in her native Philippines, the District Court held a hearing on Thursday to assess how much compensation should be awarded to the late helper’s family. She is survived by five children.
The deceased’s younger sister, Mary Ann Allas Pereira, who is still working in Hong Kong as a domestic helper, earlier took over the proceedings.
The EOC accused Baby Jane Allas’s former employer of firing the deceased after asking for hospital documents as proof of her condition. She was earlier diagnosed with cervical cancer after undergoing a biopsy.
Allas Pereira alleged that her sister was not treated well by her employer and stayed in a storeroom below a staircase, adding that the deceased had sought the help of her and her employer, Jessica Cutrera.
The court heard that Cutrera let Allas stay in her house after losing her job, and helped launch an online crowdfunding page to cover the helper’s medical expenses.
Both Allas Pereira and Cutrera took the witness box on Thursday, appearing emotional as excerpts from a documentary about Allas’s journey were shared as evidence.

The documentary titled The Price Of Justice, released in early 2021, looks at Allas’ struggles following her sacking.
To assess the damage claims, EOC lawyer Rebecca Lau asked what kind of emotional damage the late helper had suffered.
“She was facing the wall [all the time]. She lost her appetite. She just wanted to go home and die. She was not the same person,” Allas Pereira replied.
The sister added that the loss of Allas’s job meant she was ineligible for public hospital services in Hong Kong.
Cutrera, a trusts and estate practitioner, said she used her connections to ensure Allas was treated at a private hospital.
She said the surgeon offered a heavily discounted operational fee, with the bill coming to about HK$96,000.
Lau told the court that the damages should include the medical expenses that Allas’s employer should have been responsible for, as well as the salaries that Allas could have received for the remainder of her contract if she had not been dismissed.
The total sum the EOC asked for was about HK$250,000.
Lau asked the court to note that the employer had never shown up to any of the hearings over the years, nor had she responded to any summons.
“An award from this court is far beyond monetary value. It will be a vital recognition to the deceased who had suffered,” she said.
Deputy District Judge Ebony Ling Yee-nam said she would hand down a judgment within three months.


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The late Baby Jane Allas in 2019. Under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, it is unlawful for an employer to fire an employee on the grounds of their disability. Photo: AFP

The deceased’s younger sister,  Mary Ann Allas Pereira, speaks remotely at a 2025 event held by the Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions and the Filipino Migrant Cancer Support Society. Photo: May Tse

The court heard that the employer of Allas’s sister stepped in and provided the late helper with a place to stay. Photo: Jelly Tse

Jessica Cutrera accompanies Baby Jane Allas to Gleneagles Hospital. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Domestic helpers gather in Central on their day off. A three-year lease for a new shelter for helpers in distress has been signed after the earlier site – a small three-bedroom flat in Kennedy Town – reached the end of its term. Photo: Karma Lo

Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers Hans Leo J. Cacdac (right) and Philippine labour attaché Cesar L. Chavez Jnr at a celebration of the country’s 128th Independence Day in Central on Sunday. Photo: Mary Ann Benitez

Domestic helpers gather in Central on their day off. Photo: Sun Yeung

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Noelyn Patricio Arzaga hopes to finish her chemotherapy treatment after three more sessions. Photo: Edmond So

The Equal Opportunities Commission says dismissal or less favourable treatment of employees on the grounds of disability constitutes unlawful discrimination. Photo: Jelly Tse

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District Court holds hearing to assess how much compensation should be awarded, five years after death of Baby Jane Allas


District Court holds hearing to assess how much compensation should be awarded, five years after death of Baby Jane Allas.


Watchdog seeks HK$250,000 for family of late helper sacked during cancer battle

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}District Court holds hearing to assess how much compensation should be awarded, five years after death of Baby Jane Allas

District Court holds hearing to assess how much compensation should be awarded, five years after death of Baby Jane Allas