On Tuesday, in a case that has drawn public outrage in Saudi Arabia, a housemaid stabbed her employer's two children in their house in Riyadh.
Al-Arabiya reported that the Ethiopian nanny attacked the victims while their parents were at work, killing the 11-year-old girl and critically wounding the girl's 13-year-old brother.
According to media reports, the nanny first attacked the brother, identified as Ali, stabbing him 14 times before he managed to escape and call his mother while hiding in the bathroom.
The perpetrator then stabbed the sister, Nawal, multiple times until she died. Ali was quickly transported to intensive care, while the perpetrator was arrested.
Authorities are currently investigating the incident, and the triggers behind the nanny's outburst remain unclear.
The horrific crime has shocked the Saudi community, with people expressing their thoughts and condolences online under the hashtag >خادمه_تقتل_طفل_وتصيب_اخر# (Housemaid kills child and injures another).
People are heartbroken
"Sleep my child, may you wake up in heaven."
"She killed all Saudi children"
"She didn't just kill one child. We consider that she has killed all Saudi children with her horrendous act. Allah is sufficient for us and the most excellent protector."
The case has stirred controversy about domestic help
"Until when will our kids deal with violence? Employers should install cameras in the living room or the baby's room, it wouldn't cost much. This would help them realize that the nanny cannot deal with children. I am against leaving housemaids with children, as the former should only be in charge of cleaning houses."
Racist comments were made
"We belong to Allah and to him we shall return. Beware of housemaids, especially Ethiopians, as they are ticking time bombs. God give her parents patience."
"Recruitment agencies are responsible"
"Recruitment agencies are responsible for this. They send us domestic workers with criminal records, and we should put an end to it."
"Unfortunately, many families insult and disrespect their housemaids"
"Peace be upon you brothers. Many people make light of hiring foreign domestic workers. If you hire one, you should treat her like a member of your own family, otherwise, you shouldn't hire one at all. Unfortunately, many families, as well as their children, insult and disrespect their housemaids, while others fear God."
Some users blamed the mother, but others came to her defense
"A criminal killed a child, but the tweets and reactions revolve around blaming the mother for her daughter's death, as she is supposed to be the 'housemaid.' Our society will never give up lashing out at women for every sin and crime. My condolences to the mother and may God cure her son."
The kingdom has previously executed foreign domestic workers charged with murder
While it remains unclear what sentence the Saudi judiciary will enforce on the Ethiopian nanny, the kingdom has previously implemented the death penalty on domestic workers charged with murder.
In 2015, Saudi authorities executed Indonesian Siti Zaenab Bt. Duhri Rupa for killing her employer's wife.
During the same week, the kingdom beheaded her compatriot, Karni Bt. Medi Tarsim, for killing her employer's four-year-old child, according to CNN.