JEDDAH, 31 May 2005 — It is not yet clear how an Indonesian maid died two weeks ago in her employer’s house in Al-Naeem district of north Jeddah.
When Arab News contacted the Indonesian Consulate last week for information, it had none even though the death had occurred several days earlier. After the consulate checked with the police station, it was able to confirm the woman’s death.
“Our staff met the lieutenant at Salama police station and confirmed that the dead maid was Indonesian. We are now waiting for the autopsy as we monitor the investigation everyday,” Taufiqur Rijal, consul for consular affairs at the Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah , told Arab News.
Residents in the neighborhood told Arab News that they believed the woman had hanged herself. The consul, however, said, “Until we know all the facts, we cannot say how she died — suicide, accident or something else. Our lawyer is following the case and if the report indicates something wrong occurred, it will be our responsibility to take appropriate action.”
No member of the consular staff has been allowed to see the woman’s body; the consulate has written a letter to the Saudi Foreign Ministry requesting permission to see the body. The consul has no information on the woman other than her name which was provided by her employer. The consul said, “We are trying to contact the Indonesian agent to get the contact number of the Saudi agent and the police are also trying to locate him. We have already informed her family in Indonesia through the Indonesian Labor Department which has a record of her with some data.”
Apparently, the woman initially worked in Jizan but for some reason, she returned to her agent in Jeddah who then found her a new sponsor only 13 days before her death. The police questioned the new sponsor and his wife; neighbors say they were absent from their house for four days after the death but that they are back now with a new maid.
