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Rich employers tie maid to tree in scorching sun for keeping furniture in the heat

The employers tied her to a tree outside in the scorching sun to make her understand what the heat had done to their furniture

A Filipino woman who worked several months for a wealthy family in Saudi Arabia reportedly had to endure inhumane behavior for a small mistake. Lovely Acosta Baruelo was a maid working for a wealthy family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for several months. But once she left a piece of expensive furniture outside in the heat, which angered her employers. They reportedly tied her to a tree outside in the scorching sun to make her understand what the heat had done to their furniture.

The punishment left a colleague of the 26-year-old maid horrified, who took her pictures while her wrists and legs were tied to a tree in the family’s garden. Soon after, the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) got to know about the issue, who reportedly rescued Baruelo and helped her return home to La Union in the Philippines.

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“The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh reported that the case of OFW Baruelo was referred to them on 9 May, and she was repatriated on the same day. OFW Baruelo was allegedly punished by her employer by being tied to a tree,” DFA Philippines stated. In a tweet, DFA Philippines, stated: “DFA reports that OFW Lovely Acosta Baruelo from Saudi Arabia arrived in Manila on 9 May. PH Embassy in Riyadh said her case was referred to them on 9 May; she was repatriated on same day. She was allegedly punished by her employer by being tied to a tree.”

Another woman who also worked for the same family had urged for help and alleged even for the smallest of mistakes, their employers treat them inhumanely. Meanwhile, Baruelo — a mother-of-two — said: “Thank you so much to all those who helped me. I want to also ask help for the other Filipinos left there. They are the ones who helped me and uploaded my pictures. I am afraid for their safety. I hope they get rescued too. You old man will find your karma, just you wait. Keep deducting our salaries. This is the reason why you have poor health. It's your karma for all the wrong things you did.”

In another incident, a woman from Kuwait was taken into custody for recording her domestic help falling from a seventh-floor balcony as she attempted to run away from her apartment. According to reports, the maid was from Ethiopia, and was crying for help while losing her grip after hanging on with one hand to a window frame. She also screamed, “hold me, hold me’ before collapsing. She fell down from the seventh floor onto a metal awning. However, she miraculously survived and walked away with minor injuries, which included a broken arm.

But her employer was awarded with a year and eight months behind bars for not helping and saving her housemaid and threatening her life. She was also heard saying in the video, “Oh crazy, come back.” The woman faced imprisonment after being charged with “filming an individual without consent and publishing a video of an individual without consent.”