A woman who caught her husband sexually assaulting their maid faces jail for defamation.

She is being praised for her bravery.

A Saudi woman who posted a video that went viral in which her husband appears to sexually assault their maid may face jail under the country’s defamation laws.

The woman – a housewife in Saudi Arabia used her mobile phone to secretly film her husband in the kitchen as he sexually assaulted their maid.

The video shows a man, dressed in the traditional white robes of a Saudi male, trying to kiss the maid as she attempts to pull away from him. He then gropes and touches her before following her around and groping her again.

The man’s wife posted the short video on YouTube with the title “the minimum punishment for this husband is to scandalise him.”

But it seems under Saudi law she could be the one who faces punishment.

“She faces up to one year in prison or a fine of SR500,000 (£87,214) for defaming her husband in line with the law on information technology crimes,” Majid Qaroob, a lawyer in Saudi Arabia  told a local newspaper.

“This law includes stiff punishment for anyone using mobile phones with camera or other equipment to photograph others and defame them.”

The video that the woman uploaded – be warned some viewers may find the footage upsetting. 

In some versions of the video another woman – also believed to be a maid is seen walking around the kitchen.  Since it was posted online, the #SaudiWomanCatchesHusbandCheating has had more than 25,000 mentions in 12 hours and is trending on Twitter.

With many expressing their amazement at the bravery of the woman who posted the footage.

One Saudi woman wrote online in response to the video “I salute you warmly for your valiant courage.You did the best thing because there was an urgent need for revenge and your revenge is the best.”

In Saudi Arabia women are still not allowed to drive, open a bank account, try on clothes when they shop and must seek permission from a male next of kin to travel or get a job.

Several years ago a teenager was punished by court to “lashes” after she was gang-raped. The court heard that she was not with a mahram, or male guardian when the rape occurred.

The case is also highlighting the plight of household servants in the nation where poor wages and abuse of maids is common.

Reuters reports that maids are often kept under lock and key by their employer, forced to work more than 18 hours a day, deprived of food and wages or threatened and physically and sexually abused.

Paul Adhoch, executive director of Trace Kenya, a charity which rescues Kenyan workers trapped in the Middle East told Reuters. “You are virtually their slave.”

“You are under the total control of your employer,”

Indonesia banned its citizens from working in 21 countries after two maids were beheaded for murder in Saudi Arabia in April.

What will happen to the wife who posted the video is still unknown.