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ORIGINAL: maybemaybenot

I believe the Federal Guidelines for Involuntary Servitude is still at a min. of 18-22 months. I have worked on quite a few of these cases and have never seen anyone get more that 18 months. Sadly, in most cases that isn't nearly enough, IMO.

                               mbmbn

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ORIGINAL: thompsonx

maybemaybenot:
Is it possible that these two "charming" people could be deported once they have served their prison terms?
thompson

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ORIGINAL: maybemaybenot

marie:

I have been following this story quite closely, as I have been involved in several involuntary servitude cases and do public speaking engagements on this topic quite frequently.

The one thing that * jumped * out at me is the fact that the enslavers confiscated the workers passports and identification. In every case I know of in the US, when the plaintiuff is foriegn born, almost always from a third world country, they are immediately stripped of their passports. My experience is that they are then told they will be arrested or shot if they leave, because they have no ID to allow them in this country. Also that they were poorly fed. A common practice with this type of case. I would bet dollars to donuts the young women were given physicals and the effects of malnutrition were documented. That is the usual procedure.

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As for the defense claim that the couple left  for travel and the young women were free to leave... well.. every defense lawyer uses that excuse and I have never seen it work. First of all Involuntary Servitude, by definition does not have to invlove being chained to a wall or under surviellance 24/7. Federal Prosecuters usually use the example of colonial salvery,  where the slave quarters did not have locks on the doors and they were not guarded every minute. It was the threat and the knowledge of what would happen if they tried to leave, that kept them enslaved.

                     mbmbn

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ORIGINAL: abytchgoddess4u

I'm glad to hear they will get some prison time. I actually helped two Indonesian women escape a similar situation when I lived in Vancouver...their captors weren't even prosecuted. The only thing that happened was a large newspaper article.

What's amazing is that people think it doesn't happen anymore...

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ORIGINAL: abytchgoddess4u

Thank you, but no respect or thanks are needed...it was my responsibility as a human being.

The situation was discovered by a colleague of mine...we were both hired by the kidnappers to care for their newborn (her days, me nights) and we were to teach the 'nanny' how to care for a newborn. I was let go after the first night, because I wouldn't tolerate being spoken to in the manner the mother seemed to prefer. Turns out that the couple had 3 'nannies'...one for each child. They were actually hired in Indonesia and were supposed to be going to Hong Kong to work...they were brought to Canada without their knowledge or consent...on tourist visas.

So, being that my colleague was supposed to teach the baby's nanny, she was able to communicate a little with her, showing her pictures in books and demonstrating techniques. The other nannies were not allowed to speak to her and all communication was done under the watchful eye of one of the Grandmothers...both lived in, as well. After my friend got home from a shift , she found a tiny, folded note in one of the books saying, "Help! Please! Locked in! No phone!"  

Turns out that their passports were taken upon arrival and they had NEVER been paid a cent…one had been there for more than a year. In addition; they were beaten with whatever was handy, they had to sleep on the floor in the hallway outside of their charge’s door, they had no phone access…all were removed, except one in a locked study…to which only the family had keys. They also had to keep their things in boxes in the basement and were made wear socks IN the shower and change into dry ones before they stepped out, so their feet would never touch the same ground as their ‘employers’. The door was always locked, the alarm was always on, and the driveway gate (with 8 foot fence) was operated by remote, which was held by one of the family members. I could go on, but you get the picture.  

My friend called me as soon as she read the note and we started planning right away as to how to get them out. The police said they could do nothing without a direct complaint from them…hard to do with no phone access. I contacted a local domestic violence shelter and a refugee support agency. Both said they could do nothing until they got out. We had to communicate back and forth via notes in very basic language. They were given my phone number and were told to call me 24/7 and I would come get them…no matter what.  

Eventually; after about 3-4wks, I got a call at 7am on a Sunday. I went. They had managed to put their things in garbage bags and when they were told to take the garbage out that morning, started running as soon as they passed the gate. They eventually found a woman out walking her dog, who allowed them to come home with her to use her phone. I took them to the shelter and they were linked up with the refugee group from there.

The saddest part is that the woman that had been there the longest, was too afraid to run with them…it took another month to get her out and she bore the brunt of their escape…