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Murdered SL maid: Blood money or punishment?

23 Nov 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Kuwaiti government might pay ‘blood money’ on behalf of Sri Lankan housemaid Jayawathi Ilangasinghe (50) who was murdered recently in Kuwait or the maximum punishment will be imposed on those convicted, Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Athukorala speculated yesterday.

The woman--a mother of two was found dead with stab injuries at the house in which she was employed in. According to Kuwait media reports, her employer’s son had allegedly murdered her and fled the area.

However, the Kuwait police had arrested two sons of the employer including the son who had escaped in connection with the murder.

Speaking at a media briefing held yesterday at the Foreign Employment Bureau, Minister Athukorala said she had been informed that the two sons of the employer had pleaded guilty for the murder.

She said if the victim’s family members are willing to get ‘blood money’ as compensation by initiating the pardon process for the convicted, it can be done. Otherwise, once the court proceedings are completed, a maximum punishment to the convicted will be imposed.

The Kuwaiti judicial system is based on the Egyptian model, being a mixture of Islamic Sharia law.

Kuwaiti law also follows the practice of reducing sentences for murder offences in return for blood money compensation paid to a murder victim’s family, and this is an important part of the clemency process. (Piyumi Fonseka)

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Murdered SL maid: Blood money or punishment?

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