Suspected maid abuser detained

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 09/02/2008 10:13 AM | World

Police have detained the female employer of the 25-year-old Indonesian maid who claimed she was forced to drink boiling water with a straw and was burned in the mouth with a candle.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner Saiful Azly Kamaruddin said the 33-year-old woman was arrested at her home in Taman Desa Melati, Bandar Baru Nilai, at 6.30pm on Sunday, as quoted by Tempo Interaktif on Tuesday.

"She has been remanded to assist in investigations," he said.

He also said the maid, known only as Kamirah, was gradually recovering from her injuries, after she was admitted to the surgical ward in Seremban Hospital last Thursday.

It is learnt that the maid has been discharged from the hospital and was seen accompanied by a woman, believed to be a representative from a foreign maid agency. A source from the hospital said the inside of the victim's mouth and throat was badly burnt when she arrived at the hospital.

The maid was put under observation and reported to be gradually recovering.

The victim had fled from her employer's house in Nilai, Seremban, Malaysia, and sought help from a stranger, who helped her lodge a report at the Nilai police station and rushed her to hospital.

Earlier, Saiful said that the employer had sent the maid to her mother's house in Batang Benar, Selangor, to do some housework on Thursday morning.

He said that when the maid returned home later that day, the woman allegedly confronted the victim and accused her of being lazy.

The woman then allegedly used a lighted candle to burn the maid's mouth and forced her to drink boiling water though a straw, said Saiful, adding that the torture was so severe that the victim was unable to speak. (amr)