Kenyan Domestic Worker in Saudi Arabia Gave Birth Outside Marriage and Sentenced to 100 Lashes

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Esther Wanja Muthoni (40), a Kenyan domestic worker, gave birth to a baby boy fathered by an Egyptian man who has since left Saudi Arabia. She was sentenced to 100 lashes for having sexual relations outside of marriage.

The mother, who has been trying to return home with her baby for more than a year, said she does not think she can endure the lashes. "This does not befit me," she said.

Although the Crown Prince announced the abolition of flogging as a punishment in 2020, it is still imposed for certain offenses. According to Muthoni, the Crown Prince presents a modern country that empowers women, "and that is the reality."