My Wife Never Mistreated Her Maid, Says Bereaved Academic

Image Caption: Mohammad Al-Harthy, third from left, with some of the mourners at his residence in Sharaie District of Makkah. — Okaz photo

By Abdullah Al-Dhibyani and Ahmad Al-Lahyani

MAKKAH — The husband of the woman who was murdered by her maid in Makkah on Sunday said his wife had never mistreated the Asian worker.

Mohammad Al-Harthy, an academic, said he was devastated by the death of his wife, who was in her 50s.

“The maid murdered my wife by stabbing her with a cleaver multiple times. We have two sons and three daughters. My children, my wife or myself have never harmed or abused the maid in any way. We just don’t know what could have prompted the maid to kill my wife,”Al-Harthy said.

He also said he had always paid her salary on time and she does not have any delayed salary payment to be the motive for her to take revenge on my wife.

“The maid killed my wife three hours after she returned from a trip to Madinah. It wasn’t unusual for my wife to go to Madinah and such trips never bothered the maid in the past,” said Al-Harthy.

He added that he was thankful to the police for their efficiency in arresting the woman quickly.

Makkah Police spokesman Col. Ati Al-Qurashi said police arrested the maid from the mataf (circumambulation area) in the Grand Mosque where she had taken refuge after the horrific crime.

The Saudi woman had two Filipino maids who were both arrested after the murder.

Family consultant and psychiatrist Majed Al-Ahdal said housemaids are responsible for 10 percent of all murders in the Kingdom.

“Having different systems and laws for the recruitment of workers in the Gulf region is something dangerous. Many criminal gangs can seep through the system unchecked and work for Saudi households even when they have criminal records,” said Al-Ahdal.

He added employing undocumented expatriates is extremely dangerous.

“In general, Saudi society is a hospitable and good-hearted and is not used to brutality and violence. Some maids have robbed and even killed their employers without any regard to the good treatment they received,” said Al-Ahdal.

(Source: SaudiGazette.com.sa)