Dhaka, Nov. 11 -- A Kenyan domestic worker in Saudi Arabia has reportedly been sentenced to 100 lashes after giving birth outside marriage, prompting rights groups to condemn the punishment as an act of violence.

The Guardian reported that Esther Wanja Muthoni became pregnant during a brief relationship with an Egyptian man, who has since left the country.

Muthoni told the New York Times after the ruling, issued last month, that she feared she would not be able to endure the punishment.

"I don't deserve this," she said.

Sex outside marriage is a criminal offence under Saudi Arabia's legal system. Rights advocates say women are disproportionately affected, particularly migrant workers who become pregnant and are abandoned by the father...