FILIPINO MAID SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SAUDI ARABIA FOR MURDER FREED AFTER 15 YEARS IN JAIL

a Filipino maid sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for the 1992 murder of her employer was freed after a US$533,000 settlement was paid to the victim’s family, Philippine officials said. Sarah Dematera, who was 20 at the time, said she witnessed an Arab man kill her employer. The killer ordered Dematera to move and cover the body, clean the murder weapon, and wipe up the blood. She was unable to communicate what happened because she couldn't speak Arabic. Dematera was later forced to sign a "confession" and was sentenced to death. But her execution was not carried out until the victim's child turned 18 and could be consulted on a financial settlement in return for a pardon.