Sri Lankan maid 'beaten up'

Agency faces probe over abuse claims

by Rasha Al Qahtani

(December 05, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A Manpower agency is to be reported to the Labour Ministry after a housemaid was allegedly beaten up by staff, it emerged yesterday.

Sri Lankan W Indrani Wickramaarachi, 40, is recovering in Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) from severe bruises after being punched in the chest and kicked in the groin.

Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) action committee head Marietta Dias said the woman's Bahraini sponsor would also be reported to the ministry for failing to feed her properly.

Volunteers from the organisation were yesterday keeping vigil at the maid's bedside after she was put on an intravenous drip and kept under observation.

Ms Dias said the woman appeared to have been beaten up as punishment for running away from her sponsor.

"She claims she wasn't fed properly and told her sponsor that she wanted to go back to Sri Lanka," she said.

"Her sponsor took her back to the agency where she was badly beaten and kicked in the groin."

Ms Dias said the woman was later given back to her sponsor who took her home, where she had worked for five months.

"When she went back to her sponsor's house she resumed work and was drying clothes on the roof when she fainted," she said.

"After she regained consciousness she ran away and ended up next to the Sri Lankan Club in Manama."

Ms Dias said that a Sri Lankan woman found her and took her home and kept her for the night before calling the MWPS.

"The next day a volunteer took her to KIMS Bahrain Medical Centre and they transferred her to SMC, where she is being treated for her wounds," she said.

"She will stay in our shelter until we file a case at the Labour Ministry on Thursday after the Eid Al Adha holidays."

Ms Dias said something must be done to stop the abusive and threatening behaviour of staff at some manpower agencies.

"I regularly inform Sri Lankan officials about such cases, but they rarely take them up and I call for more help from the community," she said.

"Ill-treatment is rampant and still continuing. Things are getting out of hand and this case will be reported against the agency and the sponsor.

"I am ashamed to say that this is happening in Bahrain."

Ms Dias said that every woman in the MWPS shelter had alleged they were not fed properly by their sponsor. "How do the sponsors expect the maids to work hard when they do not even feed them properly? Ms Dias added the case underlined the need for a Sri Lankan Embassy in Bahrain.( GDN)- Sri Lanka Guardian