BBC News Asia-Pacific
10 January 2011 Last updated at 13:57 GMT
A court in the Saudi city of Medina has sentenced a woman to three years in
jail for the severe physical abuse of her Indonesian maid.
Sumiati Binti Salan Mustapa, 23, was admitted to hospital in November with
broken bones and burns to her face and body.
The case received worldwide attention, and prompted the Indonesian president to
demand justice for her "torture".
But local media say the alleged abuser maintains she is innocent.
Scissors
The employer was convicted under a new royal decree against human trafficking,
al-Watan newspaper reported.
It quoted a lawyer for the Indonesian consulate, Abdulrahman al-Muhamadi, as
saying he would appeal against the ruling in order to press for a tougher
sentence.
The defendant's lawyer also said she would appeal against the sentence,
reported Saudi Gazette.
Ms Sumiati is thought to have arrived in Saudi Arabia last July seeking work.
The woman for whom she found work as a maid was arrested after allegedly
beating Ms Sumiati so severely she had broken bones and internal bleeding. She
was accused of putting a hot iron to Ms Sumiati's head and stabbing and
mutilating her with scissors.
Continue reading the main story
"Start Quote
There's a greater awareness in cases with lots of media attention such as
Sumiati's that they [Saudi authorities] need to do something. A very, very
small but encouraging sign"
End Quote Christoph Wilcke Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch
Ms Sumiati appeared in court last week to show the judge her scars.
Outrage
She has already undergone surgery but, according to the Indonesian consulate,
will require another operation.
The case outraged rights groups, who said it demonstrated the lack of
protection for millions of domestic workers - many of whom are south-east Asian
migrants - in Saudi and other Gulf states.
A number of cases of abuse of migrant domestic workers have come to light in
Saudi Arabia over recent years.
However, perpetrators have rarely faced punishment greater than a fine.
Christoph Wilcke, a senior Middle East researcher with Human Rights Watch, told
the BBC this was the first jail sentence he had heard of in cases of abuse of
migrant domestic workers, though there had been instances of pre-trial
detention.
"My cautious assessment would be that there's a greater awareness in cases with
lots of media attention such as Sumiati's that they [Saudi authorities] need to
do something. A very, very small but encouraging sign."
But Mr Wilcke said he was reserving judgement on the fairness of the trial, as
it had been concluded so quickly.
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