Saudi- Employers told to keep an eye on housemaids

(MENAFN- Arab News) RIYADH: There are concerns within Saudi society that the incident that led to the death of a child in the west of Al-Yami might not be the last in a series of crimes committed by maids in the Kingdom unless these crimes are investigated properly and dealt with promptly.
The details of the incident as told by the family of the child were that the family felt as though they knew beforehand that something was wrong and suspected that a crime may be imminent.
A member of the family said that the maid was nervous and kept repeating strange phrases. When the mother asked her to start working one day she refused. At eleven o'clock in the evening the mother heard cries coming from her son's room and went there to find the maid holding him down and stabbing him in the mouth back and throat.
The maid tried to commit suicide after the incident by slashing her wrists. She was taken to hospital and then to Al-Hamra police station where she said that she felt remorse and was afraid of her unclear future.
Despite these details being known the crime has not yet been fully processed and investigations are still underway.
Psychological health expert Abdulhamid said that the matter calls for the formation of a joint team from the ministries of interior and labor as well as with psychologists to collect information to create an overview of expatriates' behavior and any psychological issues that may affect their actions while at work.
The authorities warned that families should closely monitor the behavior of their maids in order to know if they are planning something. They also warned that they should be extra careful because often this type of conduct could result from bad treatment or if the maid is deprived of her rights.

Suicide attempt
On Wednesday local media ran a videoclip showing an African maid trying to commit suicide by throwing herself off a building in southern Jeddah. The maid escaped death but suffered various injuries.
Spokesman for Makkah police Col. Ati Al-Qurashi said that police received a phone call saying that a woman had tried to commit suicide in the area shortly after the incident.
As soon as the police received the call a team was dispatched to the location with the relevant authorities. Upon reaching the location they found a woman apparently in her thirties and of African descent badly injured after throw herself off the building.
Al-Qurashi said that the woman is now in hospital and added that her case will be referred to the relevant authorities.