( CNN ) -- Indonesia has urged Saudi Arabia to take legal action against a Saudi employer accused of grossly abusing an Indonesian maid , Indonesian government officials said Thursday . The 23-year-old woman is recovering in a Saudi hospital after being severely beaten , according to Indonesian consulate officials . The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry said Thursday that it had followed up on the case , which has outraged many in Indonesia . `` At first , we already called the Saudi Arabia ambassador here in Jakarta a few days ago to the ministry , and at that occasion we expressed the position of the Indonesian government , which condemns the act , inhumane act , against our nationals , '' ministry spokesman Michael Tene said . `` We also ask the Saudi government to ensure that they will be responsible for that and take appropriate action according to the law . '' Sumiati binti Mustapa Salan went to work in Saudi Arabia four months ago to support her family in a small fishing village in Indonesia . She was tortured since the first day of her employment in a Medina household , said Didi Wahyudri , Indonesia 's citizen protection consul in Saudi Arabia . `` She was beaten badly . But she is recovering , '' Wahyudri said . A migrant rights group and Indonesian officials have said Sumiati also suffered from cuts to her face and possibly burns from an iron . `` We are asking for justice , '' said Wahyudri , who added that Indonesian officials had reported the case to Saudi police . Sumiati has been hospitalized since November 6 at the King Fahd Hospital in Medina . CNN was not able to reach Saudi officials for comment . Offices were closed because of Hajj , the annual Muslim pilgrimage . Sumiati 's case is one of several involving Asian migrant workers in Middle Eastern nations that have made headlines in recent months . Last summer , doctors removed nails that had been hammered into the body of a Sri Lankan maid , allegedly by her Saudi employers . Human rights groups have expressed alarm about the poor treatment of these workers , though it has been difficult to document abuses of domestic workers that take place behind closed doors in private homes . A Human Rights Watch report earlier this year said migrant domestic workers often face isolation and forced confinement that contribute to psychological , physical and sexual violence , forced labor and trafficking . Nisha Varia , a senior researcher for women 's rights at Human Rights Watch , said the problem is compounded by the fact that Saudi labor laws do not cover migrant workers and , often in such cases , justice has been slow or non-existent . `` The overall justice system is riddled with problems , '' Varia said . `` It 's not good for Saudis . It 's much worse for migrant women . '' On top of that , once a woman reports a case of abuse , she is then held at a shelter in her nation 's embassy until the case is resolved , said Varia , who has visited such shelters in several Middle Eastern nations . Often , a woman could be held for months , maybe years , without being allowed to work , which deters many women from reporting abuse , Varia said . Millions of workers from Asian countries travel to the Middle East to make money and shed lives in their homeland that are rooted in poverty . Sumiati was one of them , according to the Jakarta Globe newspaper . It reported that her parents were unable to support her and her four siblings and in July , after she graduated from high school , Sumiati left for Saudi Arabia with the help of a labor recruiting agency . A statement from a migrant rights group said Sumiati 's abusers ought to be punished . It urged the Indonesian government to take appropriate action on her behalf . The Indonesian government said it plans to send to Sumiati 's uncle to Saudi Arabia to be with her for moral support , the state-run Antara News Agency reported , adding that the government will help bring her back home . CNN 's Moni Basu and Lucia Isman contributed to this report .
The woman is recovering after being severely beaten . Sumiati binti Didi Wahyudri went to work in Indonesia Thursday . She was trying to support her family in a small fishing village in Indonesians . Allegations of maid abuse have outraged Indonesia .