Stories of injuries, psychological disorders and even deaths as a result of abuse children sometimes face from housemaids have done the rounds in shocking media reports during the past few years in particular. What are the reason for such a high- and increasing - number of incidents though? Are the housemaids inherently violent or is it the circumstances that drive them to such torture? Many housemaids suffer abuse - both physical and psychological - from the families they work for or their sponsors and abusing children may stem from that. Housemaids come from a different society, whether culturally or socially, as well as a different economic environment. The difficulties and hardship they have faced in their lives is also something most people already know about. According to Dr. Hessah Al-Sihly, a faculty member of the Education department at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, it is these social differences and hardship that may naturally result in ill-treeatment toward the children under a housemaid's care. “More worryingly, when a mother leaves her children with the housemaid, it may result in the child learning shaken ethics and a confused identity, as well as physical or mental abuse,” stated Dr. Al-Sihly. Jamilah Ahmed is a mother of three and a school teacher in Jeddah, and she told Saudi Gazette that one day she discovered a number of bruises on her children's bodies. On investigation, she found that the housemaid had physically abused them. “My maid doesn't love my children at all and they are beaten if they refuse to eat something or take a shower,” she said.Another similar case is of Samia Ali, another teacher in Jeddah and mother of two, who once discovered that her child had been placed in the laundry basket outside in the sun as punishment. “When I returned home from school I was shocked to find my four-year-old crying alone in the basement because (he) had been placed in the laundry basket in the sun,” she said. Very often, it is the ill-treatment these housemaids face from families they work for that results in them reciprocating with the children under their care. Even simple things like excessive food and TV restrictions can cause frustration in housemaids to build up over the years. Moreover, some families force their housemaids to do an excessive amount of work, even asking them to clean other people's homes which is explicitly forbidden under the Ministry of Labor's laws. “If the ill treatment from a maid consists of excessive violence including arson and murder attempts, she has a mental disorder,” explained Dr. Al-Sihly. Such is the prolific nature of these stories, that some women have started relieving housemaids of their duties and handling the responsibilities themselves. Mother of three Sara Abdullah told Saudi Gazette that she is against the concept of housemaids raising children in itself. Sara Abdullah, a mother of three, is against the idea of raising the child by maids. “I don't support the idea because it is unfair for the child to be deprived of a mother's love,” she said. “Sometimes the mother may be forced to employ a housemaid - especially if she is working - but that can't prevent her from taking care of her children.” On the other hand, some women still cannot imagine their lives without housemaids, even after such horrifying stories, citing work reasons. However, Dr. Al-Sihly said that a mother can employ a housemaid but be fully responsible for raising her children and should devote her time and love to them.
