I was just catching up on the news and found out about this sad incident. Not sure what more has to happen for the authorities to start cracking down on people keeping dangerous wildlife as pets.
A Filipino domestic helper died in Kuwait days after she was attacked by her employer’s pet lion, a report on “24 Oras” said Thursday.
The report said Lourdes Abejuela was brought to a hospital after she was attacked by the lion, which escaped from its cage, but she was immediately discharged.
Quoting Abejuela’s friend, the report said the domestic helper, who had been working with the same employer for years, experienced headaches days after the discharge.
This reportedly prompted Abejuela’s employer to bring her back to the hospital, where she died Wednesday.
The report said investigation is ongoing to determine the Filipino woman’s cause of death.
[Source]
38 replies on “Lion kills Filipina housekeeper”
Tragic truth, many ( I say many) housemaids in Kuwait are not only over worked and underpaid but they are treated like animals. But I know the wheel of life will rear its ugly head maybe not in this lifetime. What you sow you reap. Sadly the authorities will do nothing. Another death, another one of those deaths.
True. That lion should’ve mauled the owner and the owner’s family instead.
It’s funny how privileged expats are here speaking of maid rights, the lion unexpectedly attacked her because he escaped his cage. Earlier, a lion killed a little Kuwaiti girl. Keeping lions as pets is illegal.
This has nothing to do with expats or Kuwaitis so stop turning the post into something it isn’t.
Raymond: What about the little Kuwaiti children murdered by house maids? What about the psychologically ill maids picked up from psych wards? There are victims from both sides
well, what about the owners who probably tortured those poor maids and drove them insane. murder isnt the solution, but those maids are come from a poor life, uneducated, and pushing to a limit does effect people mentality, do your research before giving this lame excuse.
many barbarically raised homes here push maids beyond the limits of sanity using physical and verbal abuse. they shouldn’t be held accountable?
an Expat became a victim, the family will be paid off and that’s it.
If you were watching the first episode of “Ultimate Airport Dubai 2” last night, there was a suitcase full of live snakes from Indonesia which was “handed” to a “female” (apparently she does not have any checked-in baggage).
She denies knowing the contents of whatever was in the bags, and the supposed owner of the bag (shown in a wheelchair) went on to Kuwait after an “investigation”.
The snakes, of course were confiscated.
See the picture in this story?
Keeping tigers as pets is illegal
As Mark said, the issue has absolutely nothing to do with expats, domestic workers, etc. It has a lot to do, though, about exotic pets. They need to be illegal. Like they say, you can get the animal out of the wild, but you can’t get the wild out of the animal… or something like that LOL
What needs to be done here is that legislation should be enacted that it is illegal to own a wild animal. Current owners of wild animals will be given a grace period to turn in their wild animals, after that period has ended owners of wild animals should face a 10,000 KD fine. Before this is enacted Kuwait will have sourced locations, like zoos overseas where these animals can be sent and/or possibly working with the UAE to coordinate these sources, because emirates like Sharjah has just passed this legislation. Anyone trafficking wild animals into Kuwait will also face stiff fines and this will close the market. Kuwait is openly allowing people to import wild animals through customs and this should end.
P.S. Speaking about wild animals, I went on safari outside of Durban SA where I saw all the Big 5. It was an amazing experience. If you can find some time whilst your in SA, you would really enjoy the experience.
Just another furry family with their obsession with Tigers. Can’t this fad just die already?
Mark and Luna it is very much to do with Kuwaiti’s maybe or maybe not expats.
I know of no other country in this world, excepting the Middle East, that would allow anyone, citizen or otherwise to own and keep a dangerous animal with no control in a neighborhood house. I do know of some with licenses etc. Go back to the 60’s and yes but lessons were learnt
As for the expats, well back in the 20 and 30’s British upper class had people that do, yes servants. In this current time having servants is a rarity and in UK we are probably talking just the Royals.
Taken into account with how expats are treated in Kuwait I think least said soonest mended.
Many people have maids in India and Singapore, the abuse of maids is very common in Singapore. Keeping lions as pets is illegal in Kuwait.
Hold on… I’m confused- She didn’t die from the lion mauling, she died a few days later after reporting of having headaches? Somebody needs to explain to me how on earth the two are related. If the two ARE related, I’d be looking at medical neglect as well.
The owner of the pet should be punished. And learn what resonsibility for using animals as accessories means.
this is truly sad. my heart goes out to her family.
Keeping wild pets as lions at home is an occupational health risk for maids working in Kuwait. The owner needs psychiatric evaluation period.
@ask; while maid abuse is reported in Singapore, the issue of maid abuse is nowhere as significant as in the trouble hot spots comprising Kuwait, Saudi and Abu Dhabi.Further and more, citing a wrong elsewhere does not make it right for it to happen in Kuwait.
Arguably, next to its crude oil exports and Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund, Kuwait always makes it to international headlines for the deplorable working conditions of its blue collar workers most notably, the live in maids.
Ideally, the govts of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philipines and Ethiopia should jointly impose a 5 year moratorium on sending domestic workers to the Gulf before the officials in Kuwait and the rest of the GCC get their acts together and enforce laws safe-guarding maids from these workplace lions- both the domesticated wild cats as well as their human counterparts, i.e. their sponsors and/or employers.
I heard that the police wanted to confiscate the animals and take them to the zoo but the owner refused to let them go. So sad, it seems it always happens to innocents instead of owners.
How about just put the owner in the zoo!
Thats not true
Watch an update here
https://youtu.be/Euo3JaqFoss?t=25m48s
A civilized country will charge the owner with manslaughter. The sad truth is he/she will likely face no consequences whatsoever.
He is being charged but keep it up with the “civilized vs savages” racist bs
The owner was charged with manslaughter
You’re too ignorant and racist
Wtf happened to the reply button
“Ideally, the govts of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philipines and Ethiopia should jointly impose a 5 year moratorium on sending domestic workers to the Gulf before the officials in Kuwait and the rest of the GCC get their acts together and enforce laws safe-guarding maids from these workplace lions- both the domesticated wild cats as well as their human counterparts, i.e. their sponsors and/or employers.”
Indonesia has one in place already. India impliments safety deposits in some ME countries which Kuwait is refusing to abide. The Philippines… still the same corrupt practices.
This is a very tragic and stupid way to die from being bitten by a fucking lion. WHAT IS THE POINT OF HAVING A LION AS A PET? TAKE INSTAGRAM PICTURES WITH IT? FUCKING PET HIM? WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE
Remittances from overseas workers are a pretty big portion of the economy of some areas. In the Indian state of Kerala about 25% of the economy is reliant on people sending money back, mostly from the GCC. It’s hard for a government to take the decision to stop sending people when they can’t provide jobs at home to replace the income lost.
The lion caused the initial damage but for the hospital to immediately discharge someone attacked by a fucking lion is insane! How in the hell is that allowed to happen! People call the employer insane but it quotes to say that she worked under him for years, meaning that there had to be something encouraging her to say (an actually decent personality) I’m more shocked of the way the hospital reacted than the animal. 2 wrongs don’t make a right, but to focus on just one is equally as dumb.
ever heard of DAMA (Discharged Against Medical Advice)?
Nothing to do with expats and Kuwaitis? Yes the real issue is having illegal “pets” and the police doing jack about it. But do you honestly think if it was a young Kuwaiti girl (instead of an expat maid) that people wouldn’t have went nuts?
You saw what happened with the dogs.
https://gulfnews.com/gntv/travel/conserving-endangered-wildlife-on-sir-bani-yas-island-1.1425944
This is an example of animal protection and good government.
I’m convinced you work for UAE PR because it’s literally the only thing you post about
I’m. A doctor working in the hospital this lady tragically died in, not involved directly in her care but ofcourse her story was known in the hosp. She came in initially and her sponsor claimed it was a dog bite. She was sent home with antibiotics for a dog bite.. She developed a more serious infection which shut down her kidneys and then passed due to complications of the same. I am not sure if she has initially gone against medical advise but the hosp is investigating neglect.. Although it is not confirmed there was any neglect at all considering when she came in she was treated for a simple dog bite which is was according to her history
As per your story, her employer lied about the incident and the hospital treated her according to his lies. Shouldn’t the employer be held responsible for her death?!!
y’all think our “police” or “judicial system” can deprive the wealthy from doing what they want? lol ok
Bottom line, it all boils down to the culture of the place and MINDFULNESS of the people. You can see it daily!! driving, we call them “cant’wati”