Published: 25 September 2006
NEGOTIATIONS are underway between a Bahraini man and his former Filipina housemaid, who claims that he repeatedly raped her over a period of six weeks.
A medical test is due to be carried out soon to determine whether Marilen Gempesaw, aged 35, is pregnant with the man’s child.
Ms Gempesaw ran away from her employer on Saturday at about 6am by jumping out of his flat’s second floor window, in Muharraq, as he and his 12-year-old son slept.
She said that she feared for her life after her employer threatened to “stab me in the stomach” if she ever got pregnant.
Published: 25 September 2006
NEGOTIATIONS are underway between a Bahraini man and his former Filipina housemaid, who claims that he repeatedly raped her over a period of six weeks.
A medical test is due to be carried out soon to determine whether Marilen Gempesaw, aged 35, is pregnant with the man’s child.
Ms Gempesaw ran away from her employer on Saturday at about 6am by jumping out of his flat’s second floor window, in Muharraq, as he and his 12-year-old son slept.
She said that she feared for her life after her employer threatened to “stab me in the stomach” if she ever got pregnant.
“I jumped from the window early in the morning and walked to the embassy,” she told the GDN.
Ms Gempesaw first arrived in Bahrain in June this year to work for another Bahraini family.
She said she left her first employer after two months and returned to her agency because “work was too hard”.
The recruitment agency then found her a new family to work for, a father and son who live in Muharraq.
Philippine Embassy officials yesterday met with the Bahraini sponsor and added that they would investigate the rape allegation carefully.
It was not known yesterday whether the matter would be taken to court.
Ms Gempesaw was one of eight workers that the embassy’s shelter received on the first day of Ramadan.
Officials told the GDN that they did not receive any workers wanting to stay at the shelter yesterday.
The embassy and other Asian embassies in Bahrain are on standby this Ramadan as they anticipate an influx of housemaids running away from abusive sponsors.
© Gulf Daily News
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/story.asp?Article=156676&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29189