Long Island case turns spotlight on hundreds trapped as slaves

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/06/28/2008-06-28_long_island_case_turns_spotlight_on_hund.html

BY PATRICE O'SHAUGHNESSY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Saturday, June 28th 2008, 11:53 PM



Members of Domestic Workers United stage a protest outside Federal Court in Central Islip before the sentencing of Varshna Sabhnani (below) with her husband, Mahender.

The case of a well-to-do Long Island couple imprisoned last week for keeping slaves in their home shocked New Yorkers who couldn't imagine human bondage still exists in America.

But the awful truth is that an estimated 14,500 slaves are trafficked into the U.S. each year, forced to toil as restaurant workers, housemaids, prostitutes and migrant farm laborers, according to a national advocacy group called Free the Slaves.


Varshna and Mahender Sabhnani


In New York City, "We've seen 300 victims since 2001 who were trafficked," said Gabriela Villareal of Safe Horizons. She said 60% of them were forced into domestic, restaurant or factory work.

"Nobody suspected that in a multimillion-dollar home in Muttontown something like that could happen," said Villareal, training and advocacy director of Safe Horizons' anti-trafficking program. "But indeed it did."


Shaku Begum


Domestic workers have it worse because they are virtual prisoners in the home in which they work.

"Unless there is a savvy neighbor, the existence can go undetected for years," Villareal said.

FULL story at link.

[Clovis Sangrail]

1. "who will take care of my children?"

:rofl: