Alleged maid abuser charged in Malaysia
Alleged maid abuser charged in Malaysia
Agencies Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta/Kupang
A Malaysian housewife alleged to have violently abused her teenage Indonesian maid was charged on Saturday, a day after the suspect's husband lodged a police report claiming the maid's injuries were self-inflicted.
A tearful Yim Pek Ha, 36, pleaded not guilty to four charges of voluntarily causing grievous harm to 19-year-old Nirmala Bonet, DPA reported.
Nirmala, who arrived in the country in September from East Nusa Tenggara, claims she was beaten, burned or scalded with boiling water every day for the past five months for any mistakes she made.
Horrific police photos of the young girl were splashed across all of the major local newspapers on Thursday, showing Nirmala's badly beaten and swollen face, as well as severe burn marks all over her body.
The multiple charges against Yim came a day after her husband, Hii Ik Tiing, the managing director of a company, filed a counter-report alleging that Nirmala had not only inflicted the wounds on herself, but had also stolen up to 10,000 ringgit (US$2,632) from his home.
The businessman also faces legal action if it is found that he knew of the abuse and did nothing to stop it.
Prosecutors were quoted by AFP as saying they would show medical evidence of the severity of the injuries sustained by Nirmala, which they say have left her physically and mentally scarred for life.
Yim's lawyer, K. Balaguru, said he would file an appeal with the High Court to protest his client being denied bail, saying she had not been proven guilty.
Yim has four children to take care of and needs medical help after being in detention for five days, the lawyer said.
Nirmala's plight has sparked outrage among Malaysian leaders and members of the public, who have demanded swift and stern action against the perpetrator.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he was "shocked and outraged" at the abuse inflicted on Nirmala, and pledged that the perpetrators of the "heinous crime" would be brought to justice swiftly.
He described the case as "shameful and despicable".
The government has offered Nirmala an official apology. "We apologize and wish to extend our sympathies to her and her family, who had placed high hopes on her earning an income, but she was abused instead," said Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar.
Malaysian Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail, who has described Yim as "a monster", said Hii was also under investigation because he lodged the theft complaint against Nirmala a day after his wife's arrest.
Protesters continued to express outrage over the abuse of Nirmala in Jakarta and several other cities across Indonesia on Saturday, demanding protection for Indonesian maids overseas.
Dozens of activists, many carrying irons, staged a protest outside the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, depicting how Nirmala was allegedly abused by her employer.
In East Nusa Tenggara, Nirmala's family demanded that her abuser be punished.
"We want the legal process to be conducted fairly and for Nirmala to return home soon," relative Daniel Bire told The Jakarta Post.
The Indonesian government has sent a senior official from the manpower ministry to Kuala Lumpur to deal with the case.
Malaysia is home to more than 100,000 Indonesian maids who are paid between 350 ringgit and 500 ringgit a month.
Officials at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur have said the abuse of maids is rare in the country, and that Nirmala's case was the worst they had encountered.
A total of 158 cases of maid abuse have been reported to the police in Malaysia since 2001, including 13 in the first three months of this year.