Assault claim by housemaid
By MANDEEP SINGH
Published: 12 September 2006
A SRI Lankan housemaid claimed yesterday that two staff members at a local manpower agency had assaulted her because she refused to work in more than one home at a time.
Thirty-five-year-old Parleswary Arumugam, from Trincomalee, is now in the care of the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) after one of its volunteers spotted her crying on the road near the Sacred Heart Church in Manama on August 29.
Ms Arumugam, who speaks Tamil and broken English, told the GDN through an interpreter that when she came to Bahrain on July 27, she was sent to a “two-storey house” where she had to work from daybreak to midnight for two families.
Assault claim by housemaid
By MANDEEP SINGH
Published: 12 September 2006
A SRI Lankan housemaid claimed yesterday that two staff members at a local manpower agency had assaulted her because she refused to work in more than one home at a time.
Thirty-five-year-old Parleswary Arumugam, from Trincomalee, is now in the care of the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) after one of its volunteers spotted her crying on the road near the Sacred Heart Church in Manama on August 29.
Ms Arumugam, who speaks Tamil and broken English, told the GDN through an interpreter that when she came to Bahrain on July 27, she was sent to a “two-storey house” where she had to work from daybreak to midnight for two families.
“I could not last there for more than five days, doing all kinds of work for between 10 to 12 people,” she said.
“I told the family to let me go and they sent me back to the agency.”
She said at the agent’s office in Manama, she was beaten by a Bahraini man who told her she must do what is told.
“I was terrified and agreed, after which I was sent to another house where I was working from 5am to 1.30am,” said Ms Arumugam.
She claims she did not complain, but the family left her with the agency again after a few days because she was not suitable.
“This time, a Filipino employee at the agency pushed and shoved me and attempted to beat me up,” alleged Ms Arumugam.
She claims she was locked up in a room with seven other maids for three weeks and then the agency sent her to a third home.
“At that place, I was asked to work in the house of the owner and also her mother’s house, on the same salary,” said Ms Arumugam.
“I ran away from that home and spent the night on the roof of a building under construction.”
She said the next morning, she found herself walking inside a cemetery where an Indian passer-by found her and brought her to the Sri Lanka Sports Club, Manama.
“When it was getting dark and it was time for the club to shut down, some officials there took me to the Sacred Heart Church compound,” said Ms Arumugam.
“I spent some time there and then, tired and hungry, came out and started crying.”
Ms Arumugam said she was then picked up by one of the MWPS volunteers and taken to its shelter.
“We got her medically examined and have found she has a severe infection of the urinary tract,” said MWPS Action Committee member Delrine Embuldeniya.
“She is now recovering and wants to go home.”
Ms Embuldeniya said the MWPS has been trying to get the agency to provide her with a ticket home, but they had so far not responded.
“We are also contemplating other action in consultation with Ms Arumugam, who wants to get back home to be with her three children, aged 12, seven and five years and her mother, who takes care of them.”
Ms Embuldeniya said the housemaid was promised BD45 as salary when she came to Bahrain.
“However, she claims she had to pay the first two months’ salary to the agency as its fee for bringing her here,” she said. Ms Embuldeniya said no money had yet been paid to her.
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