Spurred On by Beheading, Families Report Abuse of Maids Abroad

June 30, 2011


The execution of Royati binti Sapubi, the domestic worker who was beheaded in Saudi Arabia, has prompted more people to come forward with stories of abuse and torture endured by migrant workers abroad.

On Wednesday, the family of Ernawati, who reportedly committed suicide in Saudi Arabia, filed a complaint with the National Police in Jakarta against two men who sent the woman abroad allegedly on falsified documents.

Ernawati, from Kudus, Central Java, was only 16 when she was sent to the kingdom, and her family claims her documents were falsified to make her eligible. She died on Feb. 10, reportedly after taking rat poison, but her family said they believed she was tortured and beaten to death.

“She said she had been whipped with a water hose by her employer,” said Yenny Larasati, her sister.

Yenny filed the report against Karnaidi, the director of Bughsan Labrindo, a private company that places migrant workers, and Rusman, a recruiting agent.

Ernawati’s family reported the case to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Jan. 31, but they said little was done.

“They had 10 days to evacuate her but they said they were still looking for her address, even though I had given them the full name, address and phone number of her employer,” Yenny said.

Ernawati worked in a house with another Indonesian maid, from Sukabumi, West Java, Yenny said. It was Ernawati’s co-worker who informed the family of her death.

Anis Hidayah, head of advocacy organization Migrant Care, said the group had been following the case since January.

“We wondered why she was not evacuated from her employer’s place right away at that time,” she said.

Sending underage women such as Ernawati abroad without proper documents should be treated as a serious crime, Anis said. “This could be considered human trafficking,” she said.

In another case, an Indonesian official said he was holding talks with the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Germany over reports that an Indonesian maid had been treated as a slave by a Saudi diplomat in Berlin.

Eddy Pratomo, the Indonesian ambassador to Germany, said his office had been in touch with Ban Ying, the Berlin-based nongovernmental organization that first reported the case of Dewi Ratnasari, not her real name.

“[The alleged case] happened in 2009,” Eddy said. “We are now making contact with a number of parties to ensure the worker’s rights are fulfilled, and we will provide her with a lawyer.”

Eddy said the Indonesian Embassy was consulting with local lawyers over how to handle the case because it could be seen as human trafficking.

According to her contract, Dewi was hired to work in Saudi Arabia, but she was taken to Germany by her employer.

“We are helping the lawyer prepare the legal argument so the employer can be sued based on the 2009 Labor Law,” Eddy said.

In Sumbawa, East Nusa Tenggara, the family of a maid facing execution in Saudi Arabia expressed shock and frustration that they only learned she was on death row through the media.

“Sumartini was reported as among 24 Indonesian maids who will be executed by beheading,” said Fataruddin, a relative. “We were very shocked to learn that.”

“We heard reports that the execution will be carried out in three days and her family here is so worried about this,” he added. “Her mother suffers dementia, her father has passed away.”

Sumartini binti Manaungi Galisung, 36, was accused by her employer of using black magic after the employer’s son left the house and never returned, Fataruddin said.

The maid was tortured to admit her use of black magic and a court found her guilty of the crime in 2009, he said. She had worked for her employer, Saad Muhammad Alwian, since August 2007.

(x the JG)