Two married couples in police custody over viral maid abuse case in Johor

MALAYSIA: Two Indonesian women believed to be former domestic helpers were brought by officials from the Kuala Lumpur-based Indonesian embassy to lodge police reports in Johor Bahru in a shocking abuse case.

The story began with a video that went viral on social media showing several people in an argument and a man attacking a woman who was seated on a sofa.

A screenshot capturing the apparent act of violence has quickly gone viral, circulating across major local digital media outlets.

Police acted swiftly, arresting four suspects for one day. They were released and rearrested for a 4-day remand two days ago.

Police said the suspects, comprising two married couples aged between 30 and 34, were being investigated over the viral video showing a foreign domestic helper being assaulted at a house in Taman Johor, Tampoi.

Authorities also seized mobile phones, clothing, CCTV equipment and two passports belonging to foreign domestic helpers.

On June 14, Johor Police Chief Ab Rahaman Arsad reportedly said that the viral video showed a female foreign domestic helper being assaulted by two men and two local women.

Police said that based on preliminary investigations, the incident shown in the viral video is believed to have occurred last year, but the video was only released on social media on June 13.

Police also tracked down two other women who had worked as domestic helpers for the suspects to assist investigations, as they were believed to have been among the victims of abuse by the suspects.

However, all the victims, who are in their twenties, are believed to have fled the employer’s residence but remained in the country.

“The victim, an Indonesian domestic worker, is believed to have run away and police are actively tracing her,” Ab Rahaman told a press conference last Sunday.

“Two other women who worked as domestic helpers for the suspects and are also believed to have been victims of abuse have been located to assist investigations,” Ab Rahaman said.

All three workers are in their twenties.

In the footage, which police said was recorded on July 26 last year, a woman and a man can be seen repeatedly hitting the female worker while others berate her.

Social media posts claimed the worker had been accused of injuring her employer’s child.