Connect with us

Crime

Indonesian maid’s torture highlights lack of legal protections

Abuse of Indonesian maid spotlights government’s failure to safeguard domestic workers at home, despite efforts to aid those abroad.

Critics cite stalled legislation, leaving millions vulnerable to mistreatment.

Published

1 year ago

on

JAKARTA, INDONESIA — Beaten, forced to eat animal faeces and chained to a dog cage — the abuse of an Indonesian maid highlights the government’s failure to protect domestic workers at home even as it moves to help those abroad, critics say.

Siti Khotimah left her Central Java hometown for capital Jakarta last year when she found a maid job on Facebook to help her parents with debt.

After months of torture by her employer, the 24-year-old now walks with a limp and has visible burn scars along her legs.

“My head hurts every time I think about what happened to me,” she said, sobbing.

Khotimah’s case is not unique in Indonesia, the largest democracy without a bill to protect domestic workers, leaving more than four million people — mostly women — vulnerable to abuse.

Her wealthy 70-year-old employer in south Jakarta was jailed for four years for physical abuse last month, while the woman’s husband, daughter and six other maids were all handed three-and-a-half years.

Khotimah told AFP she was also raped during her employment, but was unable to initially talk about it. She has since informed police who advised her to file a separate lawsuit for sexual abuse.

“I am very disappointed, the sentence is so light compared to what happened to me. They should have felt what I feel,” she said.

‘Discriminatory’ laws

A domestic worker bill has remained in limbo for nearly two decades and activists accuse the government of dragging its feet.

Under the current legal framework, maids are not classified as workers, forcing them to operate in an informal and unregulated economy.

Even if the law does go ahead, it would mainly help those recruited by agents to work overseas, according to advocates.

“The law is very discriminatory,” lawmaker Willy Aditya, who heads the bill’s working committee, told AFP.

Women’s rights activists say the government must do more to support domestic helpers within Indonesia.

“Khotimah’s case is not the first. The government’s response has always been slow,” said Tiasri Wiandani of the National Commission for Eradication of Violence against Women.

“Demanding protection from other countries while we have not fulfilled the responsibilities ourselves is like a slap in our face.”

Despite the risks and horrifying stories of abuse, women from rural areas like Khotimah feel compelled by poverty to keep moving to big cities for work.

“We owed money in our village. There was no other choice,” she said.

She told AFP the abuse began a few weeks after her arrival in April 2022 when another worker accused her of petty theft.

Khotimah was accused of more theft, which she denied, and the abuse continued until December.

She recalled her employers forcing her to drink their dog’s urine and eat its waste.

“I got hit by multiple people, my boss poured boiling water on me. They later chained me,” she said.

During eight months of work, Khotimah said she did not get a salary except for a 1.5 million rupiah ($99) payment before she was taken home to Central Java.

“I was afraid the driver would just leave me on the roadside because I no longer looked like a human,” she said.

‘Last to suffer’

Khotimah’s mother found her at 3:00 am, whimpering on the floor with her hair chopped short. Blood and pus were flowing from the wounds on her legs. Both her arms were peppered with cigarette burns.

“She was crying soundlessly. I woke my husband up and told him ‘Our child is home, but she is dying’,” Khotimah’s mother, Eni Sopiyah, told AFP.

The family called the police.

The suspects were arrested while Khotimah was transferred to a Jakarta hospital where she spent four months recuperating.

While she is still physically recovering, she pledges to carry on fighting for justice for herself and other maids.

With the help of rights group Jala PRT, she is filing rape charges against her employer under sexual abuse and human trafficking laws.

“I hope the domestic workers’ protection law will be passed immediately so there will be no other Khotimah,” she said.

“Let me be the last to suffer.”

— AFP

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Crime

DSTA programme manager charged with leaking confidential project information

A DSTA programme manager has been charged with leaking confidential project information, including a S$3 million budget, to another individual. Both men face charges under the Official Secrets Act and could face imprisonment and fines if convicted.

Published

4 days ago

on

13 September 2024

By

A programme manager at the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) in Singapore was charged on Friday (13 September) with leaking sensitive project information to another individual, including details of a S$3 million (US$2.3 million) budget for a renovation project.

Hsu Yee Chern, a 52-year-old Singaporean, faces four counts under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for allegedly communicating confidential information obtained through his role at DSTA to Tan Kian Meng, a 46-year-old project manager.

Tan, who worked for a company involved in business with DSTA, was similarly charged with four counts for receiving this classified information between December 2018 and May 2019.

DSTA, the central procurement agency for the Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces, oversees various high-value projects. According to charge sheets, Hsu shared confidential details on multiple projects, including tender results and financial evaluations.

According to media reports, Hsu allegedly informed Tan on 3 December 2018 that three companies had failed in their bids for a project to renovate toilets in four blocks along Clementi Loop.

On 12 March 2019, Hsu disclosed to Tan that DSTA’s budget for a power upgrading and renovation project at Stagmont Road was S$3 million. The following month, on 5 April 2019, Hsu provided Tan with confidential findings on a company’s tender price and cable size for the Stagmont Road project.

Additionally, on 3 May 2019, Hsu allegedly shared with Tan information about a construction company’s poor financial health in relation to its bid for addition and alteration works on four blocks at Sungei Gedong Road.

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) confirmed the details of these charges in a statement. Both men are currently out on S$10,000 bail, with Tan’s next court appearance scheduled for 20 September, while Hsu is due to return on 11 October.

If convicted under the OSA, they could face imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to S$2,000, or both.

Continue Reading

Crime

Malaysian authorities rescue over 400 children in charity home abuse scandal

A shocking scandal has rocked Malaysia as authorities uncovered a horrifying network of child abuse. More than 400 children were rescued from facilities run by a prominent business group accused of exploiting and abusing the young victims. Police believe religious sentiments were used to gather donations while the children were subjected to horrific physical and sexual abuse. The business group is under investigation for child sexual offenses and human trafficking.

Published

4 days ago

on

13 September 2024

By

Malaysian authorities have rescued more than 400 children from charity homes suspected of sexual and physical abuse, run by a prominent business group, Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB).

In coordinated raids across two states, 402 children were saved, and 171 adults, including religious teachers and caretakers, were arrested, according to Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain.

The raids were carried out on Wednesday (11 Sept) on 20 premises following reports of severe neglect, abuse, sexual harassment, and molestation.

The children rescued included 201 boys and 201 girls, all aged between one and 17.

GISB, which operates in multiple countries, denied responsibility for managing the homes.

However, police believe the business group exploited the children and used religious sentiments to collect donations.

Razarudin revealed that the children, mainly sons and daughters of Malaysian GISB employees, had been sent to these homes shortly after birth.

Disturbingly, the children were subjected to multiple forms of abuse, including sexual exploitation by adult guardians, who then instructed the children to abuse others.

Some children were denied medical attention until their conditions became critical, and caretakers inflicted further harm, burning children with hot spoons and inappropriately touching them under the guise of medical examinations.

The authorities are investigating the case under laws covering sexual offences against children and human trafficking.

Two of the raided premises were registered as Islamic schools, which had previously been monitored by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS).

Though no violations had been identified during a July inspection, JAIS is expanding its investigation into GISB’s operations.

GISB has been linked to the now-banned Al-Arqam religious sect, which the Malaysian government outlawed in 1994.

The company has since stated that it is cooperating with authorities and emphasised that its policies align with both Islamic principles and national laws.

As reported by media outlet Free Malaysia Today, GISB issued a statement following the police raid, refuting police accusation as “serious and malicious.”

“We deny these allegations and stress that the company will not compromise with any activity that goes against the law, particularly regarding the exploitation of children as workers.”

In response to the situation, Robert Gass, a representative of UNICEF Malaysia, expressed shock and outrage, calling for urgent medical and psychological support for the rescued children.

“Children in institutional care need the support of qualified social workers who can monitor welfare homes effectively. UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in protecting children deprived of parental care and preventing unnecessary family-child separation. ”

“It is time to adopt a zero-tolerance stance towards violence against children in all its forms. Every child has the right to grow up in a supportive family environment,” Mr Gass added.

The rescued children are currently being housed at a police training center in Kuala Lumpur, where they will receive medical checks and temporary shelter.

The investigation continues as authorities work to uncover the full extent of the abuse and ensure justice for the victims.

Continue Reading

Trending