Saudi Gazette, 1 Aug 2008
By Joe Avancena and Faisal Aboobacker Ponnani Saudi Gazette
DAMMAM – Alert airport officials here prevented an employer from trying to "force" an ailing Indonesian maid to board a flight back to her country, police said.
The Saudi employer took Ela Adoul Madsouky, the 37-year-old housemaid to King Fahd International Airport to put her on a flight to Jakarta last weekend. However, airport officials found her too weak to travel and alerted police.
"Authorities are investigating whether there is culpability on the part of the employer," said Col. Yusuf Al-Qahtani, spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior in the Eastern Province. "Why was she in such a bad condition, and why was she being forced to travel?"
Last month, an Indonesian housemaid died as a result of beating by her employers. Another Indonesian maid broke her legs =trying to escape by leaping from a high window of her employer's house. One Indian maid who escaped from her employer sought the help of police, who got her employer to send her back to her country. All the three incidents took place in the Eastern Province.
"We seriously investigate such incidents, to find out if there was abuse. " Col. Al-Qahtani said. "
Police took Ela, who had arrived in the Kingdom six months ago, to King Fahad University Hospital in Al-Khobar. Doctors there said they had treated her some weeks earlier for severe malnutrition.
"Her body was full of injuries – in her head, neck, back, feet, and her chest and some of the wounds were bleeding," said a doctor who had examined her then. There were also signs of burns on her body and cuts on her left wrist, the doctor added.
Ela said she was fed one loaf of bread once daily in the morning. She said she now weighed only 30 kg.
She said she tried to buy food with her SR200 monthly salary but her sponsor's wife found out and slapped, kicked and beat her.
Ela supports her two children back home. "I came here to work, to earn for my family and children," Ela said.
By Joe Avancena and Faisal Aboobacker Ponnani Saudi Gazette
DAMMAM – Alert airport officials here prevented an employer from trying to "force" an ailing Indonesian maid to board a flight back to her country, police said.
The Saudi employer took Ela Adoul Madsouky, the 37-year-old housemaid to King Fahd International Airport to put her on a flight to Jakarta last weekend. However, airport officials found her too weak to travel and alerted police.
"Authorities are investigating whether there is culpability on the part of the employer," said Col. Yusuf Al-Qahtani, spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior in the Eastern Province. "Why was she in such a bad condition, and why was she being forced to travel?"
Last month, an Indonesian housemaid died as a result of beating by her employers. Another Indonesian maid broke her legs =trying to escape by leaping from a high window of her employer's house. One Indian maid who escaped from her employer sought the help of police, who got her employer to send her back to her country. All the three incidents took place in the Eastern Province.
"We seriously investigate such incidents, to find out if there was abuse. " Col. Al-Qahtani said. "
Police took Ela, who had arrived in the Kingdom six months ago, to King Fahad University Hospital in Al-Khobar. Doctors there said they had treated her some weeks earlier for severe malnutrition.
"Her body was full of injuries – in her head, neck, back, feet, and her chest and some of the wounds were bleeding," said a doctor who had examined her then. There were also signs of burns on her body and cuts on her left wrist, the doctor added.
Ela said she was fed one loaf of bread once daily in the morning. She said she now weighed only 30 kg.
She said she tried to buy food with her SR200 monthly salary but her sponsor's wife found out and slapped, kicked and beat her.
Ela supports her two children back home. "I came here to work, to earn for my family and children," Ela said.
