Justice is served for the 23 year-old Indonesian woman who was murdered by her madame, 19 and 15 year-old sons. Not that it helps her now, but may cause other abusive employers to think twice.
AMMAN – The Criminal Court has convicted a woman and her two sons of the manslaughter of their Indonesian domestic helper in December 2007.
The court first handed the 42-year-old defendant and her 19-year-old son 15-year prison terms for torturing and killing their 23-year-old Indonesian domestic helper on December 27.
But the court halved the sentence after the victim’s family dropped charges against the defendants.
The third defendant, a minor, was ordered detained at a juvenile correctional facility for two-and-a-half years after being convicted of manslaughter.
The court also decided to acquit the defendant’s husband of manslaughter charges after it established that the prosecution “could not provide any evidence to implicate him”.
Court papers said that the defendants had been physically abusing and torturing the victim from the day she started working for them, but made no mention of the date of employment.
“The defendants would constantly hit the victim with blunt objects as well as their hands and feet; they would tie her up and deprive her of food as a method of discipline because she told them she wanted to return to her country and because she ran from their house to escape the torture,” the court said.
Four days before the incident, the victim ran away from the house and went to the next door neighbour, but the defendant brought her back, locked her up in a storage room, tied her hands to a chair and wrapped a rope around her neck after she and her sons beat her, according to the court.
“The victim did not eat any food during the four-day period and when her employers went to check on her she was not moving, so they took her in their car and dumped her body in a deserted area in Naour,” the court added.
Passers-by found her decomposed body on January 19 and coroners established that she died of a brain haemorrhage as a result of being hit on the head with blunt objects, the court stated. The coroners also said they found rope marks on her neck and torture marks on different parts of her body, the court added.
In its ruling, the court decided to amend the premeditated murder charges to manslaughter after establishing that the defendants “did not plot to murder the woman”.
I am conflicted. It is remarkable that they were convicted. But, is justice truly served? I wonder how much the family paid the Indonesian family for ‘forgiveness’. I am confused by the last sentence also, perhaps they didn’t plot to murder her, but they did help it along bit by bit in the beatings she received from the time of her arrival (and not feeding someone for four days does contribute to death). She obviously became less and less human; people may forget to feed hamsters and they die, but not humans.
If I was that neighbor, I would have been heartbroken that I let her go back to the employer.
Imagine dying of starvation, beaten to a pulp, alone in a storage room in a foreign land.
Travesty of justice once again! They killed someone dammit the least they should do is spend rest of their lives in jail the bastards.
I find it hard to believe that people like these exist in our society, less that they live in urban communities. Also the fact that a 15-year old contributed to this tops evil with shock.
May God rest her soul.
Thanks for providing the link of your previous related post. I read it before continue reading this one. I wasn’t aware of this horrible story.
Is 15-years the prison time they will spend in prison or this is the age of her second son. I am not sure if the article was clear how many years they are sentenced? Shouldn’t the mother be sentenced more than her children? A crime committed by a teen is not like an adult.
Descantia, I SO agree. The calculated, long- term cruelty involved makes it so much more than manslaughter.
Ghaith, I love Jordanian society, I don’t know of anyone in my circle of friends who would dream of such a thing. Many of my friends have been ripped off by helpers or had their trust seriously broken. Some women I know (not friends) who do beat their helpers say it is like dealing with a child, and they beat their own kids. YES, that the woman allowed her two teenage boys to beat their helper is evil beyond belief. Had she no soul to teach her boys that? (welcome to my blog, btw, sorry it is such a negative topic. I saw your blog…smart guy you are!)
Jaraad, isn’t it just so tragic? My son is 15, it is beyond my ability to comprehend as a mother. The mother and 19 year old son both received 15 year terms initially, but were lowered to 7.5 years. The 15 year old son was sentenced to juvenile detention for 2.5 years.
The father was not charged. Imagine having your wife and two sons in prison for killing someone. I wonder if they have other children. Sigh, tragedy indeed.