2007/06/20
KUALA LUMPUR: The employer of the Indonesian maid, who climbed down
from the window of a unit on the 15th floor of a condominium on
Saturday in a desperate bid to escape, was arrested yesterday.
Police detained the woman at Tamarind Condominium, East Sentul, at 8pm.
Sentul police chief ACP K. Kumaran said police yesterday obtained a
remand order to hold the 35-year-old property agent for a week.
He said the case was being investigated for causing hurt with a
dangerous weapon and wrongful confinement.
The woman's 50-year-old boyfriend was not arrested as he is believed
to have not been involved in the abuse of the maid, Ceriyati Dapin, 33.
In the incident on Saturday, Ceriyati shocked residents who saw her
climbing down from the condominium unit using a rope fashioned out of
pieces of cloth tied together.
Ceriyati was taken to the Indonesian embassy where she is now under
protection.
She claimed her employer had been abusing her since January. She was
allegedly beaten with objects, punched and even strangled.
She told reporters on Monday that on the day she decided to escape
from the condominium unit, where she was locked in, her employer had
beaten her and then threatened to kill her if she made another mistake
that day.
Ceriyati, however, called her employer's boyfriend a good man who had
tried in vain to stop the abuse.
Her employer had apologised on Monday and offered to settle out of
court, but embassy officials, acting on Ceriyati's behalf, turned down
the offer, saying they would proceed with legal action.
By : Fadhal Ilahi Ab Ghani and Aniza Zainudin
