SMC Couple Accused Of Forcing Nanny To Work 20-Hour Days: Report

SAN MATEO, CA — A San Mateo couple is accused of forcing a nanny they hired from China to work up to 20 hours a day, seven days a week, while withholding her pay, according to a report by The Mercury News.

The newspaper, citing the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, reported that Qi Li, 37, and Jie Xu, 39, are charged in a labor trafficking case involving a 53-year-old woman who came to the United States on a work visa to care for the couple's infant daughter.

The Mercury News reported prosecutors said the nanny was also required to do all of the household chores, was not allowed to leave the home without supervision, was pressured to surrender her passport and was repeatedly berated.

District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said Li held a kitchen knife to the woman's neck after becoming angry when the baby became sick, the report stated.

Three days later, while accompanying the family to Stanford Hospital, the woman told hospital staff how she had been treated, prompting a report to police, The Mercury News reported.

Xu's attorney, Chris Morales, disputed the accusations, telling The Mercury News that the nanny "got paid on time" except after his client was arrested and that she "made ridiculous statements." Li's attorney did not comment, according to the newspaper.

Read the full story at The Mercury News.