Press Release

14 July 2012

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has successfully secured custody of a Filipina who was reportedly raped in Turaif in Northern Saudi Arabia. She is now temporary staying at the Embassy’s Bahay Kalinga.

On 08 July 2012, the Embassy received reports that a Filipina working as household service worker in Turaif was raped by her employer’s son.

The following day, the Embassy sent a composite team to Turaif in Ar-ar Province in northern Saudi Arabia to verify the reports. The team was composed of officials from the Embassy’s Assistance to Nationals Section (ANS) and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office – Central Region Operations (POLO-CRO). Turaif is more than 1,600 km from Riyadh.

On 10 July 2012, the composite team arrived in Turaif and immediately requested the intervention of local police authorities. Turaif Police officers accompanied Embassy officials to the home of the employer. Police authorities forcibly entered the house and were able to secure the Filipina’s custody. She was immediately turned-over to Embassy officials after her complaint was filed with the police. She is currently staying at the Embassy’s Filipino Workers’ Resource Center or Bahay Kalinga in Riyadh.

The alleged perpetrator went missing even before action by the police. He is presumed to be at large.

While thankful for the Embassy’s efforts to secure her custody, the Filipina expressed dismay for the widely-circulated reports regarding her case. She was saddened by the loss of her privacy and that of her family in the Philippines.

The Embassy reminds all Filipinos in the Kingdom and their families in the Philippines to refrain from broadcasting through social media platforms or other means sensitive information regarding ongoing cases as it may compromise efforts by concerned authorities. The Embassy encourages all Filipinos to instead contact the Embassy directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for reports on similar cases. ###