A migrant women domestic worker is subjected to violence by her employer in total legal impunity

Al Akhbar newspaper published a report about an Ethiopian migrant domestic worker who was admitted to one of the hospitals in Bint Jbeil after being brought in by her employer as she was suffering from multiple fractures in her feet.  The worker, referred to as “Nana” by her employer, was admitted to the hospital emergency unit and transferred to the operation room where her feet were placed in casts after being operated.  She remained in Bint Jbeil hospital for three days and was previously admitted to a hospital in Tyr. She then informed the police that she had been beaten by her employer who also pushed her from his balcony on the first floor.  Her statement was then recoded by the police.  When talking to the newspaper, Nana made sure not to give out the name of her employer but she gave the details of the aggression which almost killed her and also talked about the harsh working conditions and exploitation to which she is subjected in addition to the repeated physical and moral abuses.  Nana noted that on the day of the incident, she was visited by a friend and that made her employer very angry as he beat her and even tried to strangle her.  Nana also added that her employer’s wife works at the hospital where she was admitted and has tried to conceal her story from the police.  She also took USD 400 from her wage to pay her medical bills.
A security source informed Al Akhbar newspaper that although Nana gave a statement about being beaten and pushed off the balcony, her employer told the police station in Tibnin that she had “willingly” fallen off the balcony and that is after the police station in 3abbassyeh notified the district attorney of the incident.  The report in Al Akhbar noted that Nana was discharged from the hospital last Friday and returned to her employer against her will.  The report noted that the employer has not yet been held legally accountable for any of the charges.
Source: Al-Akhbar 09 September 2013