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Domestic ServitudeArchive 2008–2016

Domestic Servitude in Meyzieu (2011)

A domestic servitude case from 2011 in Meyzieu, France. 5 sources on file.

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What happened

French Couple (Male aged 66 as of December 2010) and their family (the victim’s domestic duties included care for the family’s grandmother). KNOWN DATES: * 1979 – victim first worked for her traffickers in Senegal * Unknown dates: victim worked for her traffickers in Spain * 1997 Victim transported by her traffickers into France by car (without being controlled by immigration) * 2009 Victim fled her trafficker’s property * Unknown date – arrest of traffickers * Trial – October 2010 * Sentencing - December 2010, Lyon: SENTENCING: one year suspended sentence and “nearly 42,000 euros to the complainant in respect of back pay, rights retirement and compensation.” THE PROSECUTION HAD REQUESTED: two years suspended sentence and two years of probation as well as 60,000 Euro for the victim. This was publicized as France’s first domestic slavery case under Article 224-4-1 of the Penal Code (November 2007). Notice that in this case the unpaid & underpaid labor began in Senegal (1979) & continued during approximately 30 years including some time in Spain before approximately 12 years in France.

Response and intervention

Police arrested the traffickers after the victim, with assistance from the Comité contre l’esclavage modern, (Committee against modern slavery) brought her case to authorities, resulting in France's "first domestic slavery" human trafficking case, tried at the Criminal Court of Lyon. none (escape) Legal assistance to prosecute her traffickers. Comité contre l’esclavage modern [CCEM: 01 44 52 88 90 www.esclavagemoderne.org] Sylvie O’Dy, vice-présidente du Comité Contre l’Esclavage Moderne; "L’an dernier, nous avons suivi 120 personnes. Il faut savoir qu’il y a environ 30 nouvelles prises en charge par an, mais ce n’est que la partie visible de l’iceberg" [October 2010; Elle magazine: http://www.elle.fr/Societe/Interviews/Esclavage-domestique.-Sylvie-O-Dy-Ce-proces-va-aider-Fatou-a-retrouver-sa-dignite-.-1395584 PRIMARY SOURCE: Reuters http://fr.reuters.com/article/idFRPAE6BF0JR20101216 LYON, 16 décembre (Reuters) - Un couple de Français accusé d'esclavage domestique a été reconnu jeudi coupable de "traite des êtres humains" et condamné à un an de prison avec sursis par le tribunal correctionnel de Lyon. Le couple, qui avait employé, quasiment sans rémunération, pendant trente ans une jeune Sénégalaise, à la fois en Afrique, en Espagne et en France, devra en outre verser près de 42.000 euros à la plaignante au titre de rappels de salaires, de droits à la retraite et de dommages et intérêts. "C'est la première fois que la qualification de traite des êtres humains est reconnue dans un procès sur l'esclavage domestique, mais la peine est toujours aussi dérisoire", a déclaré Agnès Noury, du comité contre l'esclavage moderne. Le parquet avait demandé deux ans de prison avec sursis et deux ans de mise à l'épreuve. Le comité avait accueilli la victime après sa fuite de chez ses employeurs dans l'agglomération lyonnaise et s'était constitué partie civile à ses côtés. "Nous sommes satisfaits que ce coupe ait été reconnu coupable et que des dommages et intérêts aient été demandés. Mais nous attendons de voir si cet argent sera effectivement versé à la plaignante", a poursuivi Agnès Noury. Fatou, qui ne possédait pas de papier ni de couverture sociale, ne touchait que 120 euros mensuels pour 16 heures de travail quotidien, sans vacances ni week-end. Elle était employée par ce couple pour faire le ménage, le repassage, le jardinage et s'occupait de la grand-mère de la famille. Lors de l'audience, le 21 octobre dernier, Daniel et Jeanine Chaumier avaient considéré que la situation de Fatou avait été décrite "avec exagération". Catherine Lagrange, édité par Yves Clarisse ---- SECONDARY SOURCES: B: http://www.diasporafro.com/esclavages-et-colonialisme/673-premier-proces-pour-qesclavage-domestiqueq-en-france.html C: http://www.elle.fr/Societe/News/Esclavage-domestique-Fatou-attend-le-jugement-de-ses-ex-employeurs-le-16-decembre-prochain-1396709 (French) D: http://www.elle.fr/Societe/Interviews/Esclavage-domestique.-Sylvie-O-Dy-Ce-proces-va-aider-Fatou-a-retrouver-sa-dignite-.-1395584 (French) E: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1322912/Daniel-Jeanine-Chaumier-French-couple-kept-domestic-slave-called-Fatty.html (English)

Sources

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1 sourceArchive 2008–2016