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wo organizations have urged law enforcers to bring multiple charges against an allegedly abusive employer Meta Hasan Musdalifah, 40, following her alleged assault of four domestic workers in her house in Utan Kayu, Matraman, East Jakarta.

The National Network for Domestic Workers Advocacy (JalaPRT) and the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) demanded at a press conference on Friday that the Jakarta Police and the Jakarta Prosecutor'€™s Office take Meta into custody for assault, unlawful incarceration and refusing to pay the workers'€™ wages.

'€œMeta violently assaulted four workers for years, causing permanent injuries. She might have killed one of them if her actions continued,'€ said Lita Anggraini from Jala PRT, adding that the workers '€” Siti Sri Mariani, Erni, Musa and Wardi '€” were all 20 years old.

Lita added that among the workers, Siti, better known as Ani, suffered the most severe injuries. She is now receiving treatment at the National Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, while the others were staying in a safe house.

The case of the four workers being abused has attracted public attention since Tuesday, when Ani ran away from Meta'€™s house and reported the employer to the police.

Seven years ago, when she decided to work for Meta for the first time, Ani never expected that she would suffer from severe mental and physical pain because of her employer'€™s abuse.

During those years, she and the three others often suffered physical abuse, including being hit with belts, brooms and slippers. Meta also poured hot water on Ani'€™s chest, ironed her stomach and forced her to eat cat'€™s excrement. Unable to bear the treatment, Ani attempted to commit suicide three times but failed.

On Tuesday, she eventually managed to flee from the house by climbing over the front gate despite painful bruises and swelling on her body. She then ran to Matraman Police, who immediately raided Meta'€™s house. The police did not find Meta at that moment as she had fled from house.

Meta surrendered to the East Jakarta Police on Wednesday after her family persuaded her to do so. '€œI cannot imagine how much pain Ani and her friends went through as the perpetrator never gave them medicine after abusing them,'€ Lita said, adding that Meta also did not allow her workers to interact with other residents in the neighborhood or even with their families. She also refused to pay their salaries for several months.

Meta is known among her neighbors as a person who does not socialize much. She was once reprimanded by her neighborhood head, Sugiarti, because of reports from residents that screams of pain were heard from her house.

But Meta was offended by the reprimand, Sugiarti said, and verbally attacked him for '€œinterfering with her domestic issues'€.

'€œShe said to me that the screams were from her misbehaving foster children, who needed to be disciplined. She told me not to interfere with her problems,'€ Sugiarti said as quoted by wartakotalive.com on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, East Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Agung Budijono said that the police would call for a psychologist to examine Meta'€™s mental condition. He added that they had yet to question Ani and other workers due to the trauma they had suffered.