Domestic Servitude in Carolina, Puerto Rico (2025)

A domestic servitude case from 2025 in Carolina, Puerto Rico, United States. 1 source on file.

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What happened

According to a federal indictment, a mother and daughter in Carolina, Puerto Rico, used beatings, threats, restraint and isolation to force an intellectually disabled woman to panhandle, commit fraud and do domestic labor in their home, at times locking her overnight in a space formerly used to house goats and roosters, and took her Social Security disability benefits.

Response and intervention

Perpetrators: A mother and daughter, charged with forced labor and conspiracy; the mother's husband, a municipal police officer, was charged with concealing the misuse of the victim's benefits. These are allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent. Investigation: FBI. Outcome: Indicted in October 2025; the case is pending. Forced labor carries a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

Sources

U.S. Department of Justice: mother and daughter charged with forced labor in the District of Puerto Rico (opens in a new tab)

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