Inhumanity

Saudi Arabia employer 'pours boiling
water' on Filipino woman
The 23-year-old woman was left
with severe burns on her back and legs
The woman's cousin posted photographs
of her injuries on Facebook
By ANTONIA MOLLOY
Monday 19 May 2014
A Filipino woman was left with severe
burns after her Saudi Arabia employer
allegedly poured boiling water on her.
The 23-year-old household service
worker, from Pikit, North Cotabato,
suffered burns to her back and legs after
being doused with the scorching liquid in
the incident in Riyadh on 4 May, ABS-CBN
News reported.
Photos of Fatma, which is not her real
name, were posted by her cousin on
Facebook on Saturday in an appeal for
help.
According to ABS-CBN News, the mother
of Fatma’s employer became angry after
Fatma was slow to bring her coffee and
then poured boiling water on her.
Fatma was not taken to hospital for
several hours, but when there she was
able to contact relatives in the area by
giving a phone number to one of the
nurses.
She was saved by her cousin during a
further trip to the hospital.
Fatma has now been taken under the
wing of the Philippine Embassy.
A representative from the Department of
Social Welfare and Development said they
are providing her with medical treatment
and other necessities.
According to a study by the Committee on
Filipinos Overseas, 70 per cent of Filipino
domestic workers in Saudi Arabia have
reported physical and psychological
abuse.
Tales of mistreatment are common - and
not just among Filipinos.
Last year a young maid from Sri Lanka
was beheaded in the country after being
accused of killing her employer's four-
month-old baby.
And Indonesia banned its nationals from
working in Saudi Arabia when a maid was
beheaded after confessing to killing her
employer, claiming he abused her.