Social media photos of Filipino domestic helper tied to a tree by her heartless Saudi Arabian employers have sparked netizens’ anger.
26-year-old Lovely Acosta Baruelo, who had been working as a maid for a wealthy Saudi Arabian family for several months, was tied to a tree to teach her a lesson after she allegedly left an expensive furniture out in the sun.
According to Daily Mail, the mother of two, while going about her duties, left the furniture outside in the sun, consequently angering her employers who claimed that heat posed the risk of fading the furniture.
They then decided to tie her on a tree to make her ‘taste the effects of sun’s heat.’
One of Baruelo’s coworker took photos showing how she was tied by her wrists and legs to a tree in the family’s garden on May 9.
The colleague had hoped that through her Facebook post, Baruelo could be rescued as soon as possible.
Luckily, through the influence of social media, she was rescued after the ill-treatment and was repatriated back to the Philippines.
The matter was then reported to the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Similar incidents have also occurred to Kenyans, where several Kenyan workers suffer exploitation, tortured and there have even been cases of some being killed in the Middle East.
Those who manage to get back home are the few and lucky ones.
Early this year, Saudi Arabia said it stands ready to co-operate with Kenya to address labour issues facing Kenyan workers.
The two nations signed an agreement to improve working conditions for the latter’s citizens in the Middle East state.
The pact will see Kenyan domestic workers earn higher perks and other benefits.
The Saudi kingdom has been a key destination for migrant domestic workers, hosting between 100,000 to 130,000 workers.
