Mr. Speaker, 16-year old Sarah Balabagan faces the death penalty in the United Arab Emirates for the stabbing death of her employer.
Last June she was given a prison term but was awarded compensation for the rape she endured at her employer's hands.
It was shocking that last Saturday her sentence was changed to death. This is reminiscent of the hasty execution six months ago in Singapore of another Filipino nanny, an execution deemed unjust on subsequent inquiry, but too late.
I therefore urge the House to intervene on Sarah's behalf, to allow a full and impartial judicial review of her case.
Canada has long prized human life and championed women's rights worldwide, the theme of the U.N. conference on women held in Beijing. Canada's support may well be the saving voice for this young woman's life.
Canada's timely stand on this matter goes beyond the life of this one young woman to the lives of all women of the world.