Allegedly tortured child maid recovered from Islamabad

By
Amina Amir
|

ISLAMABAD: An underage girl employed as domestic help has surfaced as the latest victim of brutality at the hands of her employers. The 12-year-old recovered from a house in Islamabad bears visible torture marks and claims her employers beat her and even threatened to kill her.

According to the first information report (FIR) registered at the Golra Sharif police station, the young girl had been brought to Khariyan four years ago for employment and was later placed as a house maid at a residence in Sector E-11/3 in Islamabad.

The 12-year-old told police that her parents had handled all details regarding her employment and remuneration and would also collect the salary from the employers.

She claims the torture and beatings began two months into her employment adding that her employer Almas, her daughter Amna, son Muhammed Ahmed and an employee Bashir would regularly beat her up.

Detailing her ordeal the young girl told police that on the 16th of March at around 8PM, Ahmed on instructions from his mother came and complained that she had not cleaned the residence properly, to which she responded that she had in fact done the best she possibly could.

Upon hearing her reply, Ahmed heated a stick like a branding iron against the heater and applied it to both her shoulders and left arm, then he proceeded to lash her with a belt. If this wasn’t cruel enough, she told police officers in her statement, her employer Almas stomped on her feet, strangled her and cut off her hair while the daughter Amna slapped her around.

The following on Friday the 17th of March, the maid claims, the driver employed by Almas handed her the car keys and told her he was going to offer prayers. Complying with the instructions the young girl handed the keys to her employer.

The FIR report details, that on the same night at around 8PM when her employer Almas couldn’t find the car keys she accused the young girl of having hidden them and threatened her that she would tell her son and daughter to teach her a lesson.

Almas according to the police report also instructed the other maid in her employment to boil a pot of water that she would douse the 12-year-old with and said that she would kill her.

The young girl told police, that as soon as she saw an opportunity to escape, she climbed over the boundary wall and jumped into the neighbour’s house who then informed the police.

The police detained the employer Almas and her son. However, the mother and son claimed that the neighbours were conspiring against them and since the charges frames against them were all bailable offences, both mother and son were released on bail.

Earlier this year 10-year-old child maid Tayyaba was recovered from a house in Islamabad. Her employers a judge and his wife were accused of torturing the child maid.

The Supreme Court took suo moto notice of the case and it will resume hearing in the Islamabad High Court. Till the court gives out a verdict, Tayyaba is residing in an orphanage in the capital city.