Young maid's death no justice

Young maid's death no justice

In a civilized world, a 16-year-old would never usually be put
to death, no matter what the crime. Yes, the death sentence may
be passed, but it is in most cases commuted.

The supreme penalty, however, is of necessity an emotive
issue.

Two migrant worker organizations in Manila yesterday called on
Filipinos to burn thousands of United Arab Emirates flags to
protest at the latest death sentence being imposed on a
Philippine maid working overseas.

In the case of Flor Contemplacion, who was convicted and
sentenced to death in Singapore earlier this year for killing a
fellow maid and a Singaporean child, the death penalty was
carried out despite pleas for clemency.

But in the United Arab Emirates, the court had originally
found mitigating circumstances in the case of Sarah Balabagan who
stabbed her employer to death after he raped her.

Balabagan was only 16 when she was subjected to this terrible
ordeal at the hands of her employer.

On 26 June, a three-judge panel sentenced Balabagan to a
three-year prison term but retried the case at the insistence of
the man's family.

In a dramatic turnaround last Saturday, the panel declared
Balabagan guilty of "premeditated murder".

It doesn't take much imagination to visualize the prison cell
scene as the young girl's joy at being reprieved turned to terror
as the death penalty she thought she had escaped is belatedly
imposed on her.

Her supporters have complained that the UAE court ignored
evidence it earlier acknowledged showing the maid was raped and
acted in self-defense.

In the name of justice, does no one care about the life of a
16-year-old who, it has been acknowledged by a court, had killed
to defend her honor?

Will justice be served by the taking of such a young life? We
think not.

-- The Hongkong Standard