2025-11-03
GENEVA – In a landmark case, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has ruled that diplomatic immunity cannot be used to block legal action over alleged exploitation of domestic workers.
In 2023, Rappler's investigation series 'Diplomatic Immunity and Impunity' exposed the global scale of exploitation experienced by domestic workers at the hands of their diplomatic employers. This cross-border work was funded by Journalismfund Europe's Modern Slavery grant programme. The journalists Ana P. Santos, Michelle Abad and Pauline Macaraeg, together with Chay Hofileña and Don Kevin Hapal, uncovered abuse in the international affairs hubs such as New York, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The Philippines was among the countries whose diplomats faced such allegations.
The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has now ruled that diplomatic immunity cannot be used to block legal action being taken over the alleged exploitation of domestic workers. This ruling relates to a complaint filed by Virginia, a Filipino domestic worker, and three others who accused their former employers at the Pakistani mission of failing to pay them for almost two decades of work.
“This case was not forgotten,” Virginia told Rappler after the decision was announced. Read more in this article).
The ruling follows years of scrutiny into abuse by diplomats around the world.
The decision marks a rare legal breakthrough in a system where diplomatic immunity has long protected employers from accountability.
On the right: Image by Rappler.
