An Indian woman, in her 50s, was allegedly treated as a slave by a Melbourne-based couple.
Kandasamy Kannan and his wife Kumuthini Kannan have been accused of keeping an Indian woman as a slave at their Mount Waverley home for more than eight years.
A committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court to determine if the Kannans will stand trial started on Monday.
On day two of a five-day pre-trial committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, it was alleged the woman "enslaved" by the couple was at times beaten with a frozen chicken, had boiling water thrown on her legs and hot tea splashed in her face.
During the hearing, the woman said she was asked to remain silent at family gatherings and temple visits or risk being beaten.
"More than 10 times I've been beaten and stomped and I've had poured hot water as well," the woman told the court through a Tamil interpreter, reports.
"They treated me very badly. They beat me several times. I was beaten, once I was hit with a plate on the head ... I was also cut by a knife on my wrists.
"Twice boiling hot water was poured on my legs. Hot tea has been thrown on my face a few times."
The woman told the court the woman had beaten her with a frozen chicken.
"Yes she did (and) she pushed me," she said.
The woman said she spoke to Mr Kannan for help, but he simply responded "just don't talk back to her".
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she wanted to return to India but that she also wanted to get her "dues".
She said the Kannans' treatment of her deteriorated in the last two to three years that she lived with them.
Earlier on Monday, Commonwealth prosecutor Fiona McLeod SC told the hearing the woman travelled to Australia from India on a tourist visa in 2007 to perform domestic duties for the couple and help look after their three children.
But she told the police she was not allowed to leave the house and was locked up when the family went on annual month-long holidays.
The couple have denied the allegations.
Ms Kannan's barrister Dr Gideon Boas told the hearing the woman received clothing, board and food and was cared for by the couple.
"The complainant voluntarily came to Australia … she became part of the family … she became like the children's grandmother," he said.
"She received things and money and wanted for nothing."
