The Cambodia Housemaid Network, a local NGO, has recorded 50 cases of abuse against domestic workers this year, the network said at its second congress yesterday.

And in most cases, the victims are usually between 14 and 16 years old.

The organisation’s deputy chief, Yem Sothy, said maids were often treated like prisoners and forced to work.

She said 32 of the 50 cases logged by the network had been resolved.

“We work only in the house and do not know about the outside world,” said Sry Nak of her experience working for 10 years as a maid. “It’s just like a prison, we just wait for orders.”

According to Sothy, there are about 240,000 maids in the Kingdom, while thousands of Cambodian domestic workers are also employed in Malaysia.

Recruitment companies were banned in 2011 from sending Cambodian maids to Malaysia after several cases of abuse were revealed.