Ahmad Al-Ansari Okaz/Saudi Gazette YANBU – The Yanbu General Court sentenced Sunday the Indonesian housemaid who was found guilty of murdering Tala Al-Shehri, a four-year-old girl, in Yanbu last September. A panel of three judges also awarded the maid an eight-month jail term and 200 lashes for attempted suicide after committing the horrific crime that shook the industrial city. The housemaid's lawyers said he would appeal the verdict. The Indonesian representative, who was present in the court, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the child's father turned down their request to forgive the maid after receiving blood money. “Anyhow, we respect the Saudi judiciary. We have entrusted a Saudi lawyer to initiate the process of approaching the Appeal Court.” The lawyer, whom the Indonesian consulate hired to appear for the housemaid, said that the consulate will initiate legal action in Jakarta against the man who was accused of instigating the maid to commit the crime through sending her text messages that apparently led to the child's murder. The housemaid was charged with decapitating the girl with a cleaver when her parents were away at work and her sisters were at school. Tala's father said he and his family would never forget that black Wednesday when they saw their little girl's headless corpse lying in a pool of blood. Tala's mother, a teacher, fainted and was moved to a hospital while Tala's sisters were treated for shock. No motive for the killing was mentioned, but the girl's father denied allegations that his family mistreated the woman.
