RAS AL KHAIMAH: A housemaid in Ras Al Khaimah, who was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing her employer, has been pardoned by the victim’s family after 14 years. The Court of Cassation decided to commute her sentence to 15 years in prison, with the maid having already served 14 years on death row. This decision follows a series of efforts by the maid’s lawyer to convince the victim’s family to drop the charges, which was ultimately achieved after the payment of Dh700,000 in blood money as compensation.
The case dates back to 2010, when the maid, identified only as “S”, arrived from Africa to work for the family. Within two weeks of her employment, she murdered the housewife and set fire to the apartment, leading to the tragic death of the victim’s one-year-old child. The crime occurred during a seemingly trivial moment when the housewife repeatedly poked the maid while she was cutting onions, which reportedly enraged the maid and led her to stab the victim 17 times, ultimately killing her.
After committing the murder, the maid attempted to cover her tracks by stealing a bag of money and jewelry before setting the apartment on fire, knowing that the child was asleep inside. The fire resulted in the child’s death, and investigators later discovered stab wounds on the mother’s body. This evidence revealed that the fire had been set intentionally to conceal the crime, and police eventually traced the maid to a friend’s house in another emirate where she had sought refuge.
Following her arrest, the maid claimed that the victim’s actions had provoked her, leading to a moment of rage that resulted in the stabbing. Despite her attempts to appeal the death sentence from prison, her initial efforts were unsuccessful. However, after years of good behavior, embracing Islam, and learning tailoring, the maid’s lawyer was able to reach out to the victim’s family and negotiate the reduction of her sentence, with the Court of Cassation accepting the plea and commuting her sentence to 15 years in prison.
