In a landmark conviction in India last month, a man guilty of holding six people in slavery was sentenced to one year in prison and assessed a fine of 900 rupees. This sentence culminates a legal process that began four years ago, when an IJM investigation resulted in police intervention on behalf of six victims held as slaves in the perpetrator’s business, a snack stand.
In India, perpetrator accountability for slavery remains extremely rare, despite stiff penalties for the crime mandated by law. Slave owners are rarely tried, and when they are brought to trial, they receive token sentences of a few hours for this human rights abuse. This one-year sentence for slavery is a major victory as the tide of opposition to slavery grows in India.
The victims had been enslaved since childhood and suffered physical and verbal abuse, working in conditions so severe that one laborer reportedly died as a result. Since their release from slavery, the former slaves have received rehabilitation assistance from the government and have succeeded in supporting their families and pursuing stable livelihoods. They remain in contact with IJM’s aftercare staff, who report that the former slaves are overjoyed that justice has been served in their case and that their perpetrator has been held accountable for his actions.
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Great work.
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