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