“The 53-year-old Saudi woman was recently widowed and inherited a large sum of wealth, which the maid knows about,” said lawyer Sultan bin Zahim, adding that the maid, Sumiati Salan Mustapa, is to be examined to determine her mental state.
Commenting on another case, in which an Indonesian maid was found tortured and dead in the Abha area, Zahim said news of similar cases start coming out when one incident comes to light. “It is human nature and the nature of the media,” he said.
He further praised the transparent manner in which the Saudi media has been shedding light on wrongdoings in society, adding that the Saudi media is “the most open media in the world, even in comparison with the media of the alleged free world.” He said the fact that criminal action is being taken strongly indicates that the Kingdom is one of the world’s safest countries with a low crime rate.
“Although all forms of abuse — physical, emotional or verbal — are condemned completely by our society and Islamic teachings, some people consider beating a way of disciplining,” said Zahim, adding that violence is a criminal act.
Zahim said some people still resort to beating their subordinates, even their own children. “Thus, we have cases, rare cases, of beatings that have led to the death of workers and even children,” said Zahim.
“It’s not murder but manslaughter because the death is a result of the unacceptable physical abuse that went horribly wrong.”
The Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh had also assigned a lawyer to follow up on the case, said Zahim.
