Beheading a juvenile is an inhuman act

Dear Editor,

A BBC story of a Sri Lankan maid who was beheaded by Saudia Arabian authorities caught my attention. According to the story, the maid was beheaded for murdering a toddler under her care.

What made the story all the more interesting was the fact that the maid was still a juvenile at the time of the baby’s death which raises questions regarding employment practices that are in clear contravention of the ILO Convention on Child Labour. Apart from issues of legality and morality, it is unconscionable for children at such a tender age to be employed to look after children, when that person should still have been in school preparing for the world of work.

The incident has resulted in some measure of diplomatic tension between the two countries, especially given the fact that pleas for clemency by the Sri Lankan government were bluntly turned down.

That maid is just one of countless children who are victims of an unjust system in which those with money exploit the poor and vulnerable. Beheading a juvenile in my opinion is an inhuman act which runs contrary to civilized norms and behaviour.

Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally