Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

TRAFFICKING

Charges filed over ‘sex slave’ teen girl

A mother, a father and their 25-year-old son were charged with trafficking on Tuesday after having "purchased" a 14-year-old girl in Serbia and bringing her to Sweden to serve as the mentally handicapped son's girlfriend or wife.

Published: 20 December 2011 16:05 CET

”I don’t know of any other case like this that has gone to trial. The special circumstances are the issues with the fiancé, that makes it original,” said deputy chief prosecutor Thomas Ahlstrand at the International Prosecution Chamber in Gothenburg to news agency TT.

The mother and the son are also charged with rape, child rape, and sexual coercion.

The family of the mentally handicapped man believed he would get better if he had a wife, so they bought the girl for him from her father in the Serbian capital, paying €1,000 ($1,360), according to the charges.

The girl arrived in Sweden during the early autumn last year and was allegedly kept under close watch in the flat where she was forced to have sexual intercourse with the son.

“The girl was forced to get engaged in line with Roma customs with the 25-year-old, and was taken to the family’s apartment … where she was locked up,” daily Expressen reported at the time.

According to the prosecutor the father of the girl had not been told of the man’s mental handicap.

He was persuaded into letting the girl come and live with the family.

Apart from the initial money that changed hands, the father in Serbia was given a few smaller sums by the family in Sweden over the course of the year.

However, all three charged denied the allegations.

”The girl has lived there and they don’t think she has been subjected to any crime,” said Ahlstrand.

According to the charge sheet the girl had not turned 15, the age of consent in Sweden, when she came to the country. She fell pregnant on more than one occasion and suffered at least one miscarriage.

Although the girl hasn’t claimed to be locked up by the family. Ahlstrand argued it wasn’t possible for her to leave on her own accord.

”She hasn’t said that she was locked up. But she was under 15 and living with a family her father has left her with. You don’t have to be locked up in that situation. She didn’t want to stay where she was,” said Ahlstrand to TT.

According to daily Expressen, the girl was very happy to have been freed from her ordeal and has allegedly made police promise that she never has to return there again.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

IMMIGRATION

In pictures: Meet the American street photographer documenting Madrid’s invisible population

When Michael Damanti, a photographer from the United States, moved to Madrid five years ago with his Spanish wife and two children he expected to make a bunch of new friends in the new city.

Published: 21 February 2020 15:18 CET
In pictures: Meet the American street photographer documenting Madrid's invisible population
A Romani girl begging in central Madrid. All photos: Michael Damanti

But what he didn’t count on was that he would meet a group of people that would have such a profound influence on his everyday life and work.


The man behind the lens: Damanti taking a selfie with his new friends.

“In 2015 I was an outsider in this country, trying to learn the language and find work. A chance encounter soon changed that, forming the beginnings of a long-term photographic series about Romani population in Europe, he told The Local.

“Walking home one day from another disappointing day of cliche photos, I came across a Roma Girl sleeping on the ground holding an old change cup. Her name was Sibella. I knelt down to take her photograph and as I stood up I noticed another Roma-girl walking right towards me saying, “What are you doing? That is my sister!” That was the day I met the “Cobadin-Girls of Sol”.

“Over the next four years I met with them every day, carefully documenting their story and gradually becoming absorbed into their lives. We have been through births, deaths, arrests, fights and the day to day struggles we all endure.”

What he has produced is a remarkable set of photographs of a group of people who are at best invisible to society and at worst, the frequent targets of abuse.

At first, he approached them with handmade signs with witty slogans, such as 'freewifi' and '#Brexit: Keep calm and give me money' to replace the ineffectual ones they had written themselves.

“This was the way into their lives, I noticed their signs were incredibly long (5-6 lines) and 100 percent trite and boring.  No one was reading them. So I offerend alternatives, lighthearted signs with quick simple messages in English for the tourists. This began the friendship.”

But it soon developed into a deeper friendship, one in which they invited him to dine with the family group as they cooked up stews in cardboard shelters under the roadside bridges where they sleep at night.

He even introduced them to the concept of birthday parties, after realising that for the most part, they didn’t even know how old they were, let alone celebrate the occasion.

“I happened to ask one of the girls when her birthday was and she didn't know.  I couldn't believe it so I asked all of them….. one by one they each shook their heads and asked me why it mattered to know that,” he explained.  

“I read their ID's and realized one of the girl's birthdays was in a week.  So I bought a cupcake and a candle and introduced them to the concept of birthday parties.  They had no idea what to do. I lit the candle, sang happy birthday and then stood their as they all stared at me.  

“I had to tell the girls to blow out the candle. Little by little they embraced the birthday ritual and now they all want a party on their special day.”

What has consistently surprised him is the level of racism they endure on a daily basis.

“Some men make sexual advances on the girls. That's the worst. I've seen old women spit at them.  I've seen shop owners throw drinks in a pregnant girl's face just for begging near his shop. But the one that stands out most was the black eye on Sevda's face given to her by two drunk teenagers as she slept under a bridge while seven month's pregnant,” he recounts.  

“The nastiest comments always come from elderly people or football fans.”

But sometimes he has witnessed people showing them kindness too. “However, there are a fair share of delightful gestures and comments from others.  People bring them clothes and food or buy them ice cream.  That’s a breath of fresh air.”

As a result, Damanti has become an advocate for Romani rights, and will be talking about the issue at an event organised by Madrid For Refugees.

“Originally I got involved simply to take an interesting photograph but it has taken on a life of its own. I expected to photograph the people in Sol, but I did not expect to like them so much.   So I'd like to help them if I can… be that bringing awareness to their marginalized existance or just bringing them clothes. But most importantly, treating them as friends and giving them the same respect I would to you or anyone else.”

To see more of Michael Damanti's photographs visit his website and for tickets for the Madrid For Refugees event on Saturday February 22 click HERE.

SHOW COMMENTS