Kuwaiti couple sentenced to death for fatal abuse of domestic worker

Dubai: A Kuwaiti criminal court has sentenced a husband and wife to death by hanging for the fatal beating of their domestic worker.

The verdict, issued Monday by the Criminal Court under the chairmanship of Judge Abdulwahab Al Muaili, found the couple guilty of unlawful detention, repeated assault with a stick, denial of medical care, and forced labor, acts that ultimately led to the worker’s death.

According to court documents, the victim, whose nationality was not revealed, was held against her will inside the couple’s home, where she endured persistent beatings and was prevented from seeking treatment despite her visibly deteriorating health.

Prosecutors said the couple forced her to continue working under duress until she succumbed to her injuries. The court convicted them of assault leading to death, a charge that carries capital punishment in Kuwait.

The Public Prosecution had earlier ordered the couple’s pre-trial detention for 21 days on suspicion of murder. Following formal charges of premeditated murder, the prosecution called for the maximum penalty, stating that the defendants "intentionally and repeatedly beat the maid, ultimately causing her death."

This latest case comes against the backdrop of heightened concern over the treatment of migrant domestic workers in Kuwait, concerns that reached a boiling point earlier in 2023 following a separate, highly publicized case involving the rape, murder, and burning of a Filipina worker by a teenage Kuwaiti boy.

On January 22, 2023, authorities discovered the burned body of the woman in Salmiya. Forensic investigations revealed that she had been raped, murdered, and set on fire in an attempt to hide the crime. The suspect was a teenage Kuwaiti national, and the victim had reportedly worked in his household.

The brutal killing led the Philippine government to impose a temporary ban on sending domestic workers to Kuwait, citing systemic abuse and lack of adequate protection for Filipino laborers.