This is the second maid abuse case in the city in recent months. A source said the maid’s sponsor has been trying to convince her not to file a complaint with the authorities.
Naseer Dandani, a legal adviser to the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh, confirmed the case, adding that the embassy is following developments closely. The maid was named as Armaye Sayuri.
This case follows that of Sumiati Binti Salan Mustapa, a 23-year-old Indonesian maid from East Nusa Tenggara, who also underwent treatment at Madinah’s King Fahd Hospital after being abused by her sponsor.
Mustapa told police that her woman sponsor had tortured her. She also appeared in court to testify against her. The case received widespread coverage in the media with many people calling for more protection for maids.
The Saudi and Indonesian ministries of labor held a meeting in December to ensure more protection for domestic workers and have agreed to explore the possibility of formulating an agreement on this.
A Saudi couple was arrested in Abha for murdering a 36-year-old Indonesian maid. The woman, named Kikim Komalasari and originally from Cianjur, West Java, had arrived in the Kingdom in June 2009.
Recent cases of maid abuse have led to Indonesians calling for a stop in the sending of domestic workers to the Kingdom.
Although there is a moratorium on sending maids from the Sumiati province of Indonesia, there are no confirmed reports of a nationwide ban on sending Indonesian manpower to the Kingdom.
