Woman jailed for starving maid to death in Dubai

DUBAI // A 61-year-old woman has been sentenced to seven years in jail after being found guilty of starving her maid to death.

The Emirati was convicted of locking up and starving the Indonesian woman, whose age was not in court records, to death in September last year.

Dubai Criminal Court was told the employer fitted locks to all of the doors, cupboards, drawers and even the fridge in her home, and installed a fence on top of the garden wall and iron bars on the windows of her villa to prevent the maid from running away.

In September last year the woman’s sister called police after finding the maid’s body at the woman’s home in Bur Dubai.

“When we arrived we found the dead body on the floor inside her room. Although there was a bed, she was fully dressed and in her hijab and the room was tidy and clean. The defendant was very nervous,” said an Emirati Police Lieutenant.

The officer said he became suspicious after finding a blood trail on the stairs. “We asked the defendant what happened. She said the maid fell and refused to answer any of our questions, she told us not to ask her anything.”

Police records revealed several complaints had been lodged against the employer in the past for abuse of maids and several women had absconded from her employment.

A report had been submitted to the Naturalisation and Residency Department requesting she be banned from employing maids, the court was told.

A 29-year-old policeman said when he searched the villa he found every door, cabinet, drawer and even the fridge locked.

“Whenever we wanted to open a drawer or a cabinet, the woman would reach for a big key chain in her pocket. She kept repeating that it was private property and she needed to protect it,” said the officer.

A coroner said the maid was beaten before starving to death.

“She starved to death and she was subjected to severe beating, the examination showed that she was apparently given some food to prevent her death but since the condition was severe the attempt failed to save her life.”

The woman denied all charges. The court’s verdict is subject to appeal within 15 days.