Legal action against

Legal action against
maid-beaters

From Suara Karya

The beating to death of a domestic servant by a housewife and
her two children in a housing complex in Tangerang, Banten,
recently was a heart-rending story. More tragically, the maid was
allegedly killed after denying the family's accusation that she
had stolen a loaf of bread.

Whoever the perpetrators are, regardless of their status or
position, they deserve strong punishment pursuant to the
applicable law. For the sake of upholding justice, law enforcers
should handle this serious criminal case properly and those found
guilty need to be severely punished.

The widespread cases of maltreatment of maids is believed to
be due to the absence of a law protecting these workers, which
makes employers unaware of the rights of domestic employees and
often treat them as they wish.

While no standard terms of work have been regulated, employers
and maids usually agree on such things informally without written
contracts. If any breach of their accords takes place, it is
often settled unilaterally, in favor of employers.

CECILIA SRI UTAMININGSIH
Jakarta