A Kenyan domestic worker in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to 100 lashes after giving birth outside marriage, an offence under the kingdom's Sharia law system. Women's rights campaigners have raised the alarm over the case of Esther Wanja Muthoni, who has been left in limbo and fear of the possible punishment more than a year after she gave birth to her son.
Living under trees at a Riyadh gas station
Muthoni is one of scores of women recruited from the African continent to Saudi Arabia, many of them working in homes and as nannies. She was living with her baby under some trees at a Riyadh gas station. The domestic worker gave birth to the baby boy last year after a brief relationship with an Egyptian man, who has since left the country, the New York Times reports.
The kingdom, which follows Islamic Sharia law, is among the top countries for migrant workers. As of the end of last year, the country hosted an estimated 10 million non-Saudi workers, with many of them in the capital, Riyadh, according to the UN migration agency IOM.
Pregnancy discovered during labour
Her pregnancy outside marriage was discovered when she went into labour in the staff housing in August last year before being taken to a hospital. She was then reportedly detained for questioning by the police, who asked her about the pregnancy. Pregnancies by unmarried women fall into a grey area under the unwritten Sharia penal code, leaving judges room to interpret it. Many mothers try to hide their pregnancy and give birth at home, so a number of cases will never be reported.
In the mother's case, the judges decided to sentence her to 100 lashes based on a Quran verse after deeming her guilty of having sex outside marriage in October. The 40-year-old told NYT: 'I am so afraid. I don't think I can endure those lashes.'
Awaiting the sentence
The mother of five continues to wait to see when or if the sentence will be carried out, and hopes she can return to Kenya, even through a deportation. UK human rights group Alqst labelled her punishment as an act of violence and contrary to the image the kingdom wants to portray internationally.
Saudi Arabia has previously announced a review into flogging as punishment, but it remains a possible option for judges considering cases like drinking alcohol or adultery, it is understood. Metro approached the Saudi government for a comment.
