Lebanese courts 'fail to help abused maids'

Lebanese courts fail to protect the rights of foreign maids who accuse their employers of crimes such as physical and sexual abuse, an international human rights group says.

"By turning a blind eye to violations affecting domestic workers, Lebanon's police and judiciary are complicit in the ongoing violations by employers against this vulnerable group," said Nadim Houry, the Beirut director at the New York-based Human Rights Watch.

About 200,000 migrants work in Lebanon, mostly from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Nepal.