Saudi Employer Attacks FIllipino Worker With Boiling Water
A 23-year-old OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) is recovering after her Saudi employer allegedly doused her with boiling water, causing severe burns.
Images of the attack quickly went viral after the victim’s cousin posted them to her Facebook page on Saturday, May 17, shocking the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia. They show severe burns over the young woman’s back, allegedly inflicted by her employer’s mother after a “misunderstanding.”
A relative of the unnamed woman told Arab News that she had arrived in Riyadh only two months ago to take a job as a domestic helper. The relative, who identified himself as “Talib,” alleged that her employers began to beat the woman, who speaks neither Arabic nor English. A report from ABS-CBN News claims that the OFW was neither fed nor paid for her work. The situation culminated on May 4th, when her employer’s mother became angry that the woman did not “immediately bring her coffee,” and allegedly poured boiling water over her.
Hours passed before her employer took the woman to a clinic for treatment, according to the ABS-CBN News report. While she was being treated, she slipped a piece of paper to a nurse with the phone number of her older sister, who lives in the Philippines. Her sister was then able to contact a cousin in Riyadh, who rescued the young woman when her employer brought her back to the same hospital for further help. Her cousin, quoted by Arab News, alleges that in the meantime, she had been taken back to the employer’s home, shockingly, to continue working.
“This is my cousin, who works as domestic helper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her female Saudi employer poured boiling water on her. She has only been in Riyadh for two months. She was beaten up within five days of her arrival by her male employer and was sometimes deprived of food. She was only taken to the hospital six hours after boiling water was poured on her. She was then taken home to continue working despite her extensive injuries.”
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Saudi Arabia has had a contentious relationship with foreign workers. In an effort to curb high unemployment numbers, the kingdom initiated a program to deport some of them late last year, sparking protests and violent clashes.
Thanks to the efforts of her cousin, the young woman is now in the hands of her country’s embassy. An official told Arab News that they “will request immediate police and medical intervention,” raising hopes that her employer will be held accountable by Saudi authorities.
[Image via Arab News]
