A criminal court in Kuwait has sentenced a husband and wife to death by hanging for the horrific abuse and eventual death of their domestic worker, marking a grim chapter in the country’s long-standing labor rights crisis.
The ruling, handed down on Monday by Judge Abdulwahab Al Muaili, found the couple guilty of multiple severe violations, including illegal detention, forced labor, and repeated physical abuse using a stick. The court concluded that the victim was denied access to medical care and was made to continue working despite her deteriorating condition, ultimately leading to her death.
Court documents revealed that the domestic worker, whose nationality remains undisclosed, was trapped in the couple’s home and subjected to persistent physical punishment. Prosecutors noted that despite visible signs of distress, the couple chose not to seek help or stop the abuse.
Kuwaiti authorities had previously held the pair in custody for 21 days while building a case for premeditated murder. Prosecutors pushed for the harshest possible sentence, asserting that the couple had “intentionally and repeatedly beat the maid, ultimately causing her death.”
The case comes amid renewed scrutiny over Kuwait’s treatment of migrant domestic workers, a concern that intensified last year after the brutal killing of a Filipina domestic worker by a teenage Kuwaiti national.
On January 22, 2023, authorities found the Filipina’s charred body in Salmiya. Investigations revealed she had been raped, murdered, and burned in an effort to cover up the crime. The incident led to a temporary deployment ban by the Philippine government, citing ongoing systemic abuse and lack of safeguards for overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait.
