A 25-year-old woman working as house help in Qatar has returned to her home country of Indonesia after being badly beaten by her sponsor here and hospitalized for several days.
However, her departure only came after the woman was held for weeks in Qatar’s Search and Follow-Up Department, which is a detention center for expats awaiting deportation.
According to sources who spoke to Doha News, the woman said she “forgave” her sponsor, whose assault left her with a broken wrist, a gash on her skull requiring six stitches and numerous bruises and scars.
Through a friend, the woman sent a photo of herself this week holding a small sign thanking the Indonesian community and members of the Facebook group “When, Where and How in Doha” – where her story first came to light – for their support.
Last month, the woman’s case sparked outrage online as well as donation drive that raised some QR30,000, as well as clothes and toiletries for the woman.
Government documents shown to Doha News suggest the woman received QR8,500 for seven months of previously unpaid back wages and to cover the cost of her plane ticket home.
Questions remain
In April, the woman spoke to Doha News while she was recovering from her injuries at Hamad Hospital. She said she had been abused for nearly two years and fled her employer’s home after being beaten with the metal end of a hose used to siphon water.
Despite being in the hospital for three days, the woman said she had not been interviewed by police officers about the assault.
An embassy official, who could not be reached today, previously said authorities were following the case, but it remains unclear if an official investigation was ever launched.
However, because the victim is not pressing charges, any form of criminal prosecution is unlikely.
Human rights organization Amnesty International has previously said that complaints by domestic workers in Qatar of assaults rarely result in criminal convictions.
One reason for this may be because those who flee abusive employers can find themselves arrested and detained on so-called “absconding” charges in violation of Qatar’s sponsorship law.
Systematic problems
In a 2014 report on domestic workers in Qatar, Amnesty said the most common punishment in such cases was detention followed by deportation.
This policy was criticized by a UN envoy who visited Qatar in 2013, who said that such detention amounted to a violation of these women’s rights. For its part, Amnesty has called for “absconding” to be decriminalized.
The human rights organization said it was told by deportation center officials that detainees who make complaints of physical or sexual abuse are transferred to the Qatar Foundation for Combating Human Trafficking or the hospital psychiatric unit for the appropriate support.
However, it also cited a Ministry of Interior official who appeared to have limited sympathy for domestic workers who have fled their employers. He told Amnesty that most women who flee to new employers are trying to earn higher salaries, rather than attempting to escape abuse.
That’s at odds with the findings of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, which stated that most women who were being held pending deportation had left their employers due to poor working conditions.
The vulnerability of domestic workers here is one reason why earlier this month, the Indonesian government announced that it would ban its nationals from working as domestic help in Qatar and 20 other countries in the Middle East.
The move, to protect “human values and the dignity of the nation,” is expected to come into effect in three months, and is being imposed on any new workers applying for employment overseas. Indonesians already working abroad would not be affected.
During his announcement, Indonesia’s Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri said that “the hard policy” was being implemented in countries where the rights of employers outweigh labor policies and protections for the domestic worker.
Qatar is home to around 20,000 Indonesians working in domestic roles, Amnesty International said last year, citing 2010 census data.
Thoughts?
Perhaps Doha news could interview a police spokesperson and ask if there is an investigation. Regardless of whether the lady presses charges or not the police should investigate. The evidence of the assault was clear to see. This appears too much to be the case that the woman is just being removed so the matter is forgotten. I wonder if the sponsor had to produce and compensation for the injuries. Forgive them, not a chance.
That would be called journalism which this site often times lacks.
I would agree with you if the Police were open to the idea of being “interviewed”. I many cases, I have seen that the Police only give (one sided) press conference!
Here we are assuming that the police spokesperson would be “able and willing” for such interview/ investigation.
Agreed. Doha News, why not follow up on this story to see if the police will charge the sponsor? Are the police even ‘allowed’ to press charges after the victim ‘forgives’ the offender? Also, why not contact the victim in Indonesia to find out if forgiveness was coerced / exchanged for the right to leave the country.
In my opinion, not enough questions are being asked by journalists. Take the gloves off and drill down a little more in your articles.
The police don’t comment in matters like this. We’ll keep checking the courts though to see if the sponsor’s name comes up on the docket.
The 2030 Vision calls for openness and transparency. Perhaps the maid’s treatment and subsequent deportation were matters of national security…
You are joking, aren’t you?
That’s what the Vision calls for, it is possible that the Police have a plan that hasn’t been implemented. For the second part, how is this different from filming laborers and having your equipment seized? No permit? Yeah, sure. If the laborers’ camp looked inside like a Swiss bed&breakfast, nobody would get too upset about your filming it, even if you didn’t have a permit, right?
You’re right, it’s a “vision”.
Government officials often get bogged down in day-to-day activities and forget the Vision. Journalists and the public have a duty to constantly remind them, even push them to act as per the Vision
DN is tabloid kind of newspaper. They are not guardian or new york times to do investigative reporting. You have very high hopes.
Will her torturers pay for what they have done to her or does “justice” have skin color, status and nationality?
Of course not, they will get away with it and be free to abuse others in future.
Maybe they’ll become ambassador in Burundi?
I believe the reason that this news article mentions that the sponsor paid QR 8,500 is to suggest that he has paid all his “liabilities”.
The suffering this poor lady has does not mean nothing specially as housemaids are not covered under the labor laws!
Well whatever but that is still no excuse for treating another human being in such a brutal and evil manner. How would the abusers feel if someone did the same to them or someone close to them
I wonder if she’s a fellow Muslim, or maybe just the wrong kind of Muslim from the wrong kind of country?
Well if she is a Muslim they have messed up, it is clear in Islam you are only allowed to have slaves of the children of slaves or those taken after battle. Having a Muslim as a slave is a no no.
So she “forgave” him and he is free to go and can get another maid.
Are the air quotes in the article on the word “forgave” because Doha News is quoting a source verbatim, or is it to highlight the “sincerity” of the maid?
Pretty sure she wasn’t sincere
The former. Our understanding is she just wanted to go home, and pursuing a legal case would have prolonged her stay in Qatar.
” Since when you have taken people for slaves and they were born free ”
A quote by Omar Ibn Al Khattab , which apparently Qatar has forgotten about and the true meaning of Islamic justice and treatment toward others
She has a much bigger heart than I. I do not think I could ever forgive someone for treating me in such a horrendous way. Unfortunate that the names of the abusers aren’t (cannot?) be given out.
Naming and shaming apparently not done by MOI ….unlike MMUP. The exit pathway thru Detention centre shifts the onus of fault on employee rather than employer
Perhaps after spending a few weeks in a detention center in a foreign country, not knowing if and when an exit permit would be issued, you just might become a tiny bit more willing to “forgive” and forget
Yes, indeed.
Violence towards an employee is NEVER justified. I can fully understand why this lady would hesitate to press charges as the weight of the whole system would fall against her. Shameful
……..and perhaps if she did not agree to forgive the exit visa would not be forthcoming and she would still be stuck at the deportation centre for no fault of hers
Abused for 2 years and finally brutally beaten. Not interviewed by the police. Owed 7 months in back wages. Detained like a common criminal awaiting deportation. MOI official has little sympathy. Possibility of no case being brought against the abuser. Qatar, will you ever take a serious look at yourself?
Doubtful
For sure, in Oct 2022 – just before the World Cup is about to kick off.
Then forgotten in January ’23
You’d think that photo of her brutalised back was enough evidence to press charges, regardless of whether the victim wanted to or not….it would be in countries with proper justice systems, not ones with a half-arsed, poisonous mix of absurdly outdated sharia and ‘make-it-up-as-you-go-along-depending-on-the-wasta-of-the-individual-involved’ put together by people dragged kicking and screaming into the modern world and now hopelessly confused about how to balance the demands of a modern, fair, functioning society with ancient superstitious belief and an obsession with patriarchy.
I could go on………. and no doubt I’ll have to when the apologists arrive.
Hi Anon don’t talk about Islam, first of all this is non of Islam principles, do you really have any idea about Islam? ?? I swear u don’t have that necessary knowledge even about your religion, you just have this hatred since your grandfathers, no body likes these actions, nor Muslims neither the others, these abuses can be happened anywhere, and its expressing the bad personality of that person only, not his religion, or his community, be careful because with this comment you already insult all Muslims, if a Christian do a bad action no one of Muslims will criticize Christianity, these religions put by god so stay away, please criticize any person any part, you can say what you want, but when it comes to religion step aside.
well said
after being abused,mistreated and such. And treated like a criminal for running away, she even has the will to forgive those who tortured her.
The fact that things like this one CAN happen in Qatar shows that the laws of Qatar are insufficient. However, Qatar is a “young” country. It can be expected that in 200 years there will be adequate laws. Give the poor kids some time. Even Rome wasn’t built in one day.
Qatar is a young country. It took 200 years for the Americans to abolish slavery and racist segregation.
This is the 21st century not the 18th and 19th.
guess you dont read the news about mistreatment in western countries
On a very small scale there. It’s state sponsored here.
you think abuse of immigrant workers in the US is small scale?
Yes
& cops racial arresting & killing is also small?.apparently your definition of small needs rethinking. defending them wont make them accept you more.
Yes on the grand scale of things. Many more cops have been killed compared to citizens. Not condoning the police depts actions but have some perspective.
cops have authority , regular ppl don’t. cops have the risk of getting killed by criminals all the time. ppl ( with color ) shouldn’t face racial arresting/killing by cops .my prespective
And most of those shot were not respecting the authority. In Furgeson, MO it has been shown the guy reached through the car window and tried to grab the cops gun. Now what did he think was going to happen after that? No wait, he didn’t think.
Big or small, does that justify abuse in other countries?
NOt at all but those guilty of it are arrested and charged not made ambassadors or given a free pass.
I read about mistreatment in western countries, in eastern countries, in southern countries, even in northern countries, but how is that relevant to the plight of that young lady and the apparent lack of action against the sponsor, irrespective of his nationality
its relevant to the comment.do you read or just pick one & say whatever????????
Is mistreatment in other countries an example that you want to follow and a good justification for mistreatment in your country?
again read the comment. when he says its the 21st century , one assume that mistreatment stopped ,while its still happening at this moments. im not talking it as an example or even should he.only insane ppl would
it is relevant to the comments the bunch of holier than thou people like you make over here. While completely blaming Qatar and its citizens but the same crime happening in western countries is seen as one off and brushed aside.
every country has its own pace, forcing it wont make it work.(BTW ,the state of Qatar was establish in the 70s , so 18th & 19th centuries are irrelevant )
That’s a pathetic excuse.
Qatar is not a young country. National Day celebrates and event from over a century ago–an event that recognized an existing ruler who descendants continue to rule today. The history of the people who live in the region is rich and deep, as archeological evidence has demonstrated.
Besides the age of country bares no reflection of how long something like slavery lasted. When it abolished slavery, the U.S. was a relatively young country of less than a century. Spain and Portugal, amongst the last Western countries to do so, were much, much older.
That means that the US ‘acted’ while Qatar is ‘mulling’.
they are sure are Acting in Baltimore right now.with all the arresting & killing over there
They are also acting in North Korea, but how is that relevant?
setting a bad example. the US with its history of RACISM/WARS …etc do becomes relevant to the comment.
If the U.S. sets a bad example, why on earth woul you follow that bad example in your country?
we will make our one, we are still a young nation. we need to learn from our mistakes. & not to have outsiders force it on us . after all we are the ones who represent QATAR.
If that’s the case, qatari, then do something about the INHUMANE treatment of some migrants. It’s YOUR laws that allow the abuse. And there is no need to compare with other nations. YOUR country is at stake here.
Good luck; hopefully reinventing the wheel is not going to take you too long.
not in a hurry . we are here to stay .
From your comments it seems as if you were enjoying the maltreatment of domestic servants in Qatar.
don’t put words in my mouth(comment), never said that
If so, what was the big rush to host the 2022 World Cup? You opened the door for having outsiders forcing all kinds of bad things on you.
wasn’t my idea, i don’t represent the Qatari football association
One person died in Baltimore not “all” like there was a genocide or some such.
so your waiting for a genocide for it to be worthy of attention, What an cruel comment !!!
What are you waiting for? Another 50 maids being abused?
im not the authority , im only member of the society
And local society here is just fine with keeping the status quo on all things abusive and illegal.
we are attending western universities now. so we learned from the best
Hopefully you WILL learn.
i doubt it.
You must have just enrolled. Have you found someone to write the exams for you, or the professor will allow it to rewrite the exam until you pass?
you can do that in western Universities ????????
here, yes?
so you are saying western universities became corrupted the moment they left their origin .
WOW thanks for letting US know that
Once they get here they are more under the control of the society and powers that be here. don’t think they realized that until too late. It’s just a fact. I have many friends who teach at the high schools here and the abuse and disrespect heaped on them is horrendous. It’s no wonder Qatar relies on expats for ANY form of progress. Qatar’s progress has been wholly expat planned and expat executed.
So expats are to blame for all the human rights violations! That is the dumbest comment ever on DN!
No not at all. Just saying that the brains behind the progress is expat. The money is not. I can give you the plans but how they are carried out is out of my control.
How so when you just said “Qatar relies on expats for ANY form of progress. Qatar’s progress has been wholly expat planned and expat executed.” Looks to me that expats did a pretty lousy job!
By executed I mean they are the brains behind the scenes while thobes proclaim the glory of “look what I did”.
Brains? More like money hogs! Besides having worked in Qatar for a while, it is clearly evident that the majority of the “brains” are over paid leeches that disappear as soon as their ideas go bust!
Aren’t we all overpaid? Would you get the same compensation in your home country? I’m pretty sure not. Add in the housing, kids education, car allowance, etc etc. It’s the price qatar pays to have us here. So the leech companies are being “overpaid” at the same rate that the individuals are being “overpaid” pretty much. What ideas went bust?
There is a difference between making home salary x 3 or home salary x 10 (for no apparent additional qualification other that what it says on the passport). Look up how many Project Directors and Managers have “resigned” from the Rail projects after raking in hundreds of thousands of riyals and being found under qualified to do the job
I think you exaggerate the 10x. I’ve worked on many projects here and know many project dirs/mgrs personally. I know they make good salaries stateside and about the same increase I get here as a non project mgr. None were under qualified in the least. Now I’m talking about US companies so I don’t know about the Turkish, Chinese, etc.
And are you here for the scenery or for “hogging money”?
At least I am here as “me”, not faking it or stepping on my morals for monetary gains…
That doesn’t make sense. Who is stepping on their morals? Who is not here as “me”? With the abusive system here I’d say we all “step on our morals” working here. Aren’t you condoning the abhorrent labor policies of this country by living and working here and by extension supporting said policies? It feels like supporting slavery. I deal with that guilty feeling daily as I work toward exiting this place.
There is always a good deed you can do to make a difference to the underprivileged!
While you are at it, if you find an opening in Internal Audit hit me up lol!
You dont have to deal with the “guilty” feeling. Yopu can leave but you wouldnt because when you see the $$$ your conscience flies out of the window.
At first I thought I could justify it. Now I cannot.
Thats the truth specially when it comes to the western expats. Most of them wouldn’t even be fit for office clerk jobs back home. Here they become managers. DOnt think there is any other place where you find so many incompetent people in top positions.
Usually it’s a QATARI in the top position arriving late, pretending to work for 2 hours, and out the door at lunch for good. Then if he get’s bored he just stops showing up to work. I witnessed this case happening at least 10 times myself as a fact.
according to you they are only the in the top, and every top needs base , where the expat come in this case. so you are just agreeing with what he says
And the top is supposed to direct. Only he can direct. If those under him try to direct they are fired or disciplined. Obviously you don’t work in the real world here. Ever notice when they make a Qatarization push it’s only for management positions? How can you manage at level 10 if you’ve never had practical experience at anything other than level 10. Even if you went to school to learn said job theoretical and practical experiences are NOT the same. The manager is supposed to be the base that the unit is supported by. It’s not a pyramid as you may think of it but more an inverted pyramid.
Thank You for admitting that expats did a lousy job in Qatar.
You have a nice airport, buildings, roads, schools in ed city, who do you think will run the WC ’22, who ran the Asian Games ’06,…what is/was lousy? Were these Qatari built? LOL, keep trying.
so, what your point, or your just saying stuff.
Nope, heard about writing the same exam again and again until you pass when I moved to Doha.
which has western universities , can you connect the dots ??
Believe me that practice does not fly at a US uni in the US.
Proves my point in the other comment! Some western expats and institutions are just here to make a quick buck, forgetting all their morals, ethics, and mantras along the way!
then why universities would lose their good name / morals / ..etc .Money??
because for sure they are not here for the experience.
Of course it is the money! A 12 credit semester at Texas A&M costs QR 53,000!!! An engineering degree would need 8 semester hence QR 53,000 x 8 = QR 424,000 for a frikin undergraduate degree!
They are so spoon fed at these unis it’s ridiculous. If a prof fails them or catches them cheating and reports it the profs job can be at stake. It is NOT a parallel education to the US. Same system but in no way the same as going to the US.
Don’t need to wait for another 50 maids to be abused that has already happen. Head to the Filipino Embassy holding rooms for maids and Filipinas who have been raped in beaten in Qatar. They just want to go home as they know there is no court case going to happen.
How many dead construction workers are worthy of your attention?
I think qatari is a troll and not a Qatari.
Could be a troll wannabe.
I don’t quite understand why people argue with him.
a compliment from you . thank you
i am commenting here, is that not giving my attention.
You’re just arguing and making vague, often erroneous statements.
according to your previous comment. a death of one guy is not that big of a deal . so your comments are irrelevant at the moment to me.
No just stating the obvious. You wrote as if there were mass killings. Again you’re just being argumentative. It’s always the Qatari method when faced with truth they don’t won’t to hear, can’t defend and this “pride” thing will not let them even fathom they’re wrong.
Saving face is very important in Qatari culture, so that is understandable
something other so called cultures lack .
saving face is NOT a commendable trait. At all cost we will show we are right is just infantile. Especially when you’re wrong
It’s not understandable at all. This “pride” thing is the reason no local is ever charged with anything here.
I meant that the way they act is consistent with the importance of saving face.
i did no wrong , but when you say a mans death is not a big deal,thats just wrong
Again where did I say that?
Did I say that? You said “all the killing”. There was one and as of now there is no definitive answer to how he died.
If you asked 100 housemaids or construction workers “If you had a choice, where would you like to live and work, Doha or Baltimore?” what would they say?
i have no idea, lets asked the Mexican maids over there.
There are thousands of maids and laborers in Doha who dream of immigrating to America. Haven’t heard of many maids or laborers dreaming to leave America for Qatar.
yet expats come to doha from their looking for jobs .yes.its called irony.
or better still lets ask the black people who get killed by the cops everyday and then the blame is out on the black person while the cops walk scot free.
not really that pathetic. change should be from within not forced or imposed. we’ve seen when America & its allays tried to what so Called (BRING DEMOCRACY TO IRAQ) results.
Deleting the rest of this thread because it’s devolving – and getting off topic.
thanks for letting us comment
So slavery officially ended in Qatar in the 1950s, so by your reckoning we only have to wait until 2150 for Qatar to treat all humans within its borders with dignity. Hmmm. I’ll,be dead by then so I’ll have to take your word for it