DH in Kuwait resists rape, gets 25 stitches

06May09

A domestic household worker sustained 25 stitches on the head and bruises all over her body following the beatings she took from her employers in Kuwait.

“Leila,” not her real name, is now under the custody of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait. The beatings began when she informed her lady employer about the sexual advances made by her husband.

Ambassador Ricardo Endaya said they already hired the services of a lawyer to pursue the case in court.

“Kumuha na kami ng isang abugado para i-pursue ang kaso sa korte laban sa mga amo at para magkaroon ng leksyon ang mga amo na hindi nila pwedeng gawin ito sa mga Pilipina,” said Ambassador Ricardo Endaya.

Leila tearfully recounted her ordeal in the hands of her employers to ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau. The 25-year-old native of Lanao del Sur is married and has one child back home.

She said her male employer attempted to rape her on several occasions during the one year and three months of working with them.

“Kinarga po niya ako tapos dinala sa kwarto po nila at itinapon sa ibabaw ng kama. Tapos po naghubad po siya at hinubaran po niya pantalon ko po tapos hinalikan po yung akin pero sinipa-sipa ko po mukha niya. Tapos nag-attempt siyang ipasok yung sa kanya po pero hindi po siya nagtagumpay po,” recounted Leila.

Leila decided to let the incident pass, thinking that it would not happen again. However, she could not stomach what her male employer wanted her to do on his next attempt.

“Dinala po nya ako sa kwartong maliit po kung saan ako namamalantsa, naglalaba, tapos naghubad po siya, hinila buhok ko. Sinampal po niya mukha ko ng malakas tapos yung ulo ko po nauntog sa may pintuan,” she said.

The man even told his wife that Leila seduced him. The lady employer sided with her husband.

“Bigla po siyang dumating sa bahay dumeretso sa kusina at gusto akong halikan. Hindi po ako pumayag tapos bigla po niyang pinilipit leeg ko paharap sa kanya para pilitin akong halikan,” said Leila.

It took her a lot of courage to tell her employer about her husband’s sexual advances. However, the husband denied it, and together, the couple beat up the OFW.

“Hinila po ako, tapos sinuntok…tapos tinulak sa may bandang CR tapos napaupo po ako dun tapos sinipa-sipa po niya paa ko saka likod ko sanhi ng pagkakapasa ko po. Noong napaupo ako, hayun na po, sinipa-sipa ang ulo ko ng ilang beses na may suot po siyang sandal…habang sinisipa po ulo nauuntog din sa may dingding,” Leila said.

She is thankful that her lady employer’s mother arrived in the house and pacified the couple. Otherwise, she said she would have died from the beatings.

“Nakiusap po yung nanay ni Madam na dalhin natin ito sa ospital sabihin na lang natin na nagsaksak sa ulo,” she said.

The OFW wants justice. She also wants her employer to pay her unpaid wages.

“Katarungan lang po. Kasi sa haba ng panahong nagtrabaho ako sa kanila, wala pong sahod. Yung hindi po nilang ibinigay na sahod sa akin, sana po ibigay na para maipadala ko po sa Pilipinas,” she said.