Mohammed Rasooldeen, Arab News
RIYADH, 1 September 2007 — The Kingdom has sought more time from the Indonesian government to resolve the case of four Indonesian housemaids who were assaulted in Aflaj, a town 320 kilometers south of the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Two of the maids died from the attack when a family member beat them to death, accusing them of witchcraft. Saudi police have since detained seven male suspects from the family.
The vicious attack resulted in the death of Siti Tarwiyah Slamet, 32, and Susmiyati Abdul Fulan, 28. The bodies remain in the RMC morgue.
Ruminih Surtim, 25, and Tari Tarsim, 27, were left severely injured in the incident. They were treated at the intensive care unit of Aflaj General Hospital and then were transferred to the Riyadh Medical Complex (RMC), where they were under 24-hour police guard.
On recovery, the two survivors were taken into police custody for further questioning. Some reports said they were placed under witness protection. However the Indonesian Embassy has reportedly been denied access to their citizens. […]
On Aug. 23, relatives of the four maids staged a protest outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Jakarta, along with worker rights activists, demanding that the bodies of the two maids who died in the attack and the two survivors be sent home immediately.
Susmiyati’s brother Supomo told the Jakarta Post that he wanted his sister’s body repatriated as soon as possible and that all those responsible for killing his sister should be severely punished.
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Note from Rafik Beekun: Housemaids have been treated worse than animals in Middle Eastern countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Please click on the articles below to read more.
1. Migrant workers in Saudi Arabia: Similarities between sponsorship and slavery.
2. Migrant workers and women in Saudi Arabia..
The Islamic Workplace 
Posted on September 1, 2007
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