Abused Indonesian maid dies
There were severe injuries on her head and face, and infected wounds on her hands and legs
SHE had severe injuries on the head and face when rescued from her employer’s home on Saturday.
AN Indonesian maid, who was rescued by police on Saturday following suspected abuse by her employers, has died. Adelina, 21, died at Bukit Mertajam Hospital yesterday afternoon.
When found at her employer’s home in Taman Kota Permai here, there were severe injuries on her head and face, and infected wounds on her hands and legs.
Police have detained her employers — a 36-year-old woman and her 39-year-old brother — to assist investigations.
For the time being, the case is being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt and not under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
“A post-mortem will be conducted to ascertain her cause of death,” said Seberang Prai Tengah district police chief Assistant Commissioner Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid.
Her plight came to light after a police report was lodged by an aide of Bukit Mertajam member of parliament, Sim Chee Keong.
This was after it was learnt that the maid was forced to sleep in the porch with the family’s pet dog, constantly scolded and repeatedly beaten and only given meals occasionally.
Adelina from Medan was employed to take care of the siblings’ mother, who is in her 60s.
Neighbours, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the maid had been sleeping in the porch of her employers’ house in Medan Kota Permai 2, Taman Kota Permai here, for more than a month.
One of them said it began when the neighbourhood was flooded last November.
“We thought it was a temporary arrangement, but we have seen her sleeping there for more than a month now,” the neighbour said.
Another neighbour claimed that the maid was often scolded and beaten, sometimes past midnight.
“There were also a few occasions when we saw her clad only in her bra and pants at the porch. She was fed poorly and had lost so much weight.”
The neighbour claimed that maids who had worked at the house in the past did not stay for more than three months.
“This maid lasted the longest, maybe because she is scared of her employers.”