Penang High Court Has Allowed This Woman To Walk Free For Allegedly Murdering Her Maid
The woman was charged with the murder of 21-year-old Adelina last year.
By Sadho Ram — 20 Apr 2019, 05:44 PM
She is the employer who allegedly murdered her Indonesian maid
Last year, the 61-year-old woman was charged with the murder of 21-year-old Adelina in the Bukit Mertajam Magistrate's Court on 21 February.
Ambika was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries a mandatory death sentence upon conviction, reported Malaysiakini.
Adelina was allegedly repeatedly abused by her employers in Taman Kota Permai, Bukit Mertajam. She died while she was being treated at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital on 10 February 2018.
She was found outside the front gate of her employers' house with bruises on her face and head. She had serious injuries on her arms and legs.
Adelina suffered daily abuse at the hands of her employers, who constantly scolded and beat her up. They forced her to sleep on the porch with their dog and would only provide occasional meals.
The alleged abused only came to light when a police report was lodged by an aide to DAP Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim, who provided photos of Adelina forced to sleep at the front porch, along with the family dog.
According to Seberang Prai Tengah district police chief Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid, after police received the information about the maid being abused, they immediately deployed personnel to the scene.
"There was swelling on the victim's head and face, as well as other injuries on her arms and legs," police chief Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid was quoted as saying.
More than a year after being charged with the murder, S. Ambika has been allowed to walk free by the High Court on 18 April 2019
The accused employer's case to light after women's rights watchdog Tenaganita learned of the acquittal through an article in Kwong Wah Daily and tweeted about it yesterday. In the tweet, Tenaganita asked where is justice for Adelina?
The 61-year-old Ambika, who was facing the mandatory death penalty under Section 302 of the Penal Code for the murder of her maid in February last year, is reported to have been granted a full acquittal on Friday, 19 April, after the prosecution asked for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, The Malaysian Insight reported.
Reacting to the High Court's decision, Tenaganita executive director Glorene A. Das said that they are "extremely shocked" by it
"Tenaganita and our partner JPIT in Kupang are distraught with this news. We cannot imagine the unbearable grief of Adelina’s family," she said in a statement posted on Tenaganita's twitter account. The tweet has since gone viral, with over 1k RTs.
The Attorney General's office needs to explain why the prosecution has failed to bring justice for Adelina when there was substantive evidence in this case.
"Adelina is dead. She was a young woman made to work for two years without pay. She was a young woman whose body was brutalised.
"Her death has to mean something. Why have our courts failed her? Why has the Malaysian government failed her? Where is justice for Adelina?"