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Domestic worker accused of stealing food, cash dies after being locked up for 5 days
The funeral home’s management was suspicious of the bruises on LN’s body and then contacted the police.
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A domestic worker reportedly died of exhaustion and hunger after being locked inside a restroom without food for five days. (Shutterstock/rudall30)
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domestic worker in North Jakarta was reportedly abused to death by her employer, who accused the victim of stealing food and small change.
North Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Budhi Herdi Susianto said on Tuesday that the victim, identified as LN, died of exhaustion and hunger after being locked inside a bathroom without food for five days.
“The victim was thin and covered in bruises, new and old ones,” Budhi said as reported by kompas.com.
Budhi said the employer, identified as TVL, would abuse the victim if the latter did not do what the employer demanded.
“If she failed to iron clothes up to the employer’s standard, the suspect would attack her using an iron and even a pestle,” Budhi said, adding that the abuse had been going on for a month.
He said LN had been employed by TVL for four years, during which she was never allowed to visit her hometown.
“We will investigate [mental health] of the suspect. The suspect has been communicative and answered officers’ questions,” Budhi said.
“We are still investigating because there might be another suspect. There were other domestic workers in the house and they were also thin. We will see if the other workers were also assaulted or pressured,” Budhi said.
LN died on Monday at 3 a.m. TVL had taken LN’s body to Atma Jaya funerary home in Penjaringan, North Jakarta.
The funeral home’s management was suspicious of the bruises on LN’s body and then contacted the police.
TVL is detained at the Penjaringan Police station and will be charged under Law No. 23/2004 on domestic violence eradication, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. (ami)
