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Filipina trafficking victim wins case vs Malaysian employers: DFA

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ABS-CBN News

MANILA - A Filipina triumphed after her employers were convicted of human trafficking charges in Malaysia, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.The Filipina, identified only as Courage for security reasons, was maltreated in her stay in Malaysia. She escaped a rape attempt by her first employer. A Malaysian couple then took advantage and took Courage to their home, only to force her to work for them.According to the DFA, Courage was subjected to cruel and abusive acts by the couple, who wounded her with a hanger, a flat iron and boiling oil.&quot;Bloody and bruised but with the burning desire to survive, Courage escaped from her wicked employers and was found by a Filipino couple in an abandoned lot. She was later brought to the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur,&quot; the DFA said in a statement.Local police conducted series of investigations and medico-legal examinations, leading to Courage&#x27;s case being classified under Malaysia&#x27;s Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act.According to the DFA, she was brought to a safe house or shelter for human trafficking victims before testifying against her perpetrators and returning home in 2018.The employers were initially acquitted but the Malaysia&#x27;s Sessions Court reversed this decision after Courage&#x27;s legal counsel appealed. Both employers were found guilty of trafficking and were sentenced to 10 to 12 years of imprisonment. They were also slapped with RM20,000 (P232,000) in fines.“The conviction is a big win for us during this pandemic and is the first victory for a Filipina in Malaysia. This is an example of the government&#x27;s commitment in protecting and promoting the rights of our OFWs,” Foreign Affairs Usec. Sarah Lou Arriola said in a statement.Many Filipino migrant workers, especially domestic helpers, have experienced discrimination and abuse abroad from their employers.President Rodrigo Duterte had banned deployment to Kuwait twice, in 2018 and 2020, blaming the Gulf state for not protecting Filipino workers enough in its territory.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/17/20/duterte-greenlights-deployment-ban-to-kuwait">Duterte greenlights deployment ban to Kuwait</a></li></ul>

MANILA - A Filipina triumphed after her employers were convicted of human trafficking charges in Malaysia, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

MANILA - A Filipina triumphed after her employers were convicted of human trafficking charges in Malaysia, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.