Man Living In The UK Pleads Guilty To Modern Day Slavery Charge For Keeping A Man In 6ft Shed For 40 Years.
For 40 years, a man was kept as an imprisoned worker in a 6ft shed with no heating or lights, doing odd jobs for virtually no money.
We all know that everyone has the right to live a free life everywhere and anywhere in the world. However, millions of children and adults are enslaved in all countries, including the one you are residing in right now.
Slavery in the modern era refers to the systematic exploitation of others for personal or commercial gain. Modern slavery is all around us, although it is typically hidden from view.
Making our clothes, serving our meals, picking our crops, laboring in factories, or working as cooks, cleaners, or nannies can all lead to entrapment. It may appear to be like any regular profession from the outside.
However, on the inside, people are being manipulated. They may be victims of violence, threatened into unavoidable debt, or have their passports revoked, putting them at risk of deportation.
Many people have fallen into this restrictive trap due to their attempts to escape poverty or hardship, improve their lives, and support their families. Individuals become victims of contemporary slavery due to their vulnerability to being deceived, trapped, and exploited, often resulting in poverty and isolation.
Due to these external circumstances, people are driven into unsafe actions to provide for their families or pushed into exploitative occupations. Slavery has been abolished or banned in most countries, but it is still practiced illegally.
Finding a victim of modern day slavery.
The 58-year-old man was found in a troubling manner during a search on a residential site north of Carlisle, which was carried out after a call to a confidential helpline. Officers then rescued the poor man and arrested the 56-year-old accused, Peter Swailes Jr., and his 80-year-old father, Peter Swailes, for conspiracy to commit modern slavery.
PA ImagesFining the filthy conditions the victim lived in.
The charges were brought after a three-year investigation by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), with the help of Cumbria Police and the National Crime Agency (NCA). GLAA and NCA officials discovered a six-foot shack with no heating, a filthy blanket on the floor, and a metered television during their property inspection.
PA ImagesThe conspirators pleaded guilty.
According to the GLAA, the victim appeared to be traumatized as he told them he had lived in the shed for 40 years, during which time he worked on farms for as little as £10 per day and also did odd jobs like painting, slating, and tarmacking for no extra money. Peter Swailes Jr. pleaded guilty to the charges pressed against him at Carlisle Crown Court.
He had earlier pleaded not guilty to conspiring with his father between 2015 and 2019 to arrange or enable the travel of an individual with the intent of exploiting him. His father, who died last year, denied the same claim.
PA ImagesThe victim got a safe place to stay.
After being rescued, the victim was medically evaluated and assessed by professional trauma officers. They stated that the man had been living in conditions "that no human being should endure," according to a senior investigating officer, who described him as "traumatized" and "extremely disoriented."
The victim is now in supported housing outside of Cumbria.
AlamyThe poor societal structure can support the acceptance and propagation of slavery in countries where education and the rule of law are lacking. This is why education is essential, so people know their rights and do not fall into the trap of slavery.
Share this story with everyone and educate them about their rights and powers. Support and help those who are being served with injustice and assist the victims of slavery.
