Filipina teacher in Saudi files complaint vs 'rapist'

A Filipino former schoolteacher in Saudi Arabia accused a fellow Filipino of raping her when she tutored his son months ago, a Saudi-based news site reported Sunday. The report by Arabnews.com said the teacher, whose name was withheld, filed the complaint with the help of Filipino activists in Riyadh. The rape suspect is an employee at a local hospital for 20 years and a resident of Riyadh's Maher district. “Many of the Filipinos working at the hospital are making efforts to help the hapless teacher get justice. All OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) in the hospital should rally behind the teacher and have the suspect terminated from his job," the report quoted a staff member of the hospital as saying. The teacher worked at the school where the suspect's son studied. She resigned a few weeks ago to return to the Philippines, where her husband and three children reside. “She [the former teacher] has been gripped by fear. She stopped teaching nearly three weeks ago," said one of the activists. An earlier Arab News report quoted the victim as saying the suspect showed interest in her. She narrated that on her birthday last October, the man insisted on giving her a gift despite her protests. “He prepared a snack. Then after that, he took pictures of me. Then he sat down beside me on the sofa and put his arms around my neck. I fought back and he struck me on my left ear. I felt dizzy and he asked me to drink water. He might have put a sleeping tablet in the glass because after that I passed out. During that time, he poured cold water on me," she said. She said she awoke wet and naked. The man reportedly told her not to tell anyone what had happened and that he would find her two daughters the next time he was in the Philippines and rape them if she spoke to anyone about what happened. Rape suspect The suspect may have also sexually abused another Filipina, said another Filipino activist who helped the Filipina teacher. “The style of the suspect is to befriend women he’s been attracted to. Then he gives them gifts, making them feel that he’s well-meaning," said the activist who declined to be named. The suspect allegedly posted nude photos of his victim on the popular social networking site Facebook, but the account user later made the images private. —Sophia Dedace/VS, GMANews.TV