'Slaves' freed from gypsy camp

[Osem]

Twenty-four men suspected of being held against their will have been found during a raid at a travellers' site....

....The men, who are English, Polish and Romanian, were found in "filthy and cramped" conditions, police said. Detectives believe some may have been there for up to 15 years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...herts-14871318

Quite shocking!

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Osem

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...herts-14871318

Quite shocking!

Even more shocking is 227 views and no replies, oh well I guess it's a matter of turning a blind eye and pretending it doesn't happen.

[Chris]

More shocking still is:

Originally Posted by Polis

"But in fact some people did leave and told us what was going on and when we looked back since 2008 we were aware of 28 people who had made similar accusations."

28 reports in under 3 years ... and nothing done.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Chris

More shocking still is:



28 reports in under 3 years ... and nothing done.

At face value, all too reminiscent of the catalogue of reports of harrassment made to the police by Fiona Pilkington (the mother of the disabled girl who was eventually driven to suicide/infanticide). I can't help feeling that whilst the police have become ultra sensitive to hate crimes directed at certain groups (e.g. ethnic, religious), others such as the disabled, vulnerable and disadvantaged often get a very raw deal.

[devilincarnate]

No I think that this is shocking part of this?

Nine British and eastern European men also found at Greenacre caravan park near Leighton Buzzard on Sunday have refused to help the police inquiry.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...herts-14878624

Or do they fear the reprisals?

[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by devilincarnate

No I think that this is shocking part of this?



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...herts-14878624

Or do they fear the reprisals?

Or maybe this isn't what it appears to be. There are people about who actually like being slaves. Google BDSM. Apparently they were working openly with every opportunity to escape but chose not to.

I think a can of worms is being opened here.

[Ramrod]

Travellers getting into mass BDSM

[devilincarnate]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

I think a can of worms is being opened here.

Very very true

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Travellers getting into mass BDSM

What the driving school?


Oh that is BSM ( Sorry )

[Osem]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Or maybe this isn't what it appears to be. There are people about who actually like being slaves. Google BDSM. Apparently they were working openly with every opportunity to escape but chose not to.I think a can of worms is being opened here.

That's why there needs to be a full police investigation of the circumstances to establish the facts. The fact that 28 other people have, over the years, apparently made complaints to the police that they were held against their will does seem to indicate that some people have been held against their will however. As I understand it some of the people involved are 'vulnerable' adults and may be in no position to appreciate what may have been done to them. Others may be too frightened to try to escape or even speak out honestly due to threats etc. That's been known to happen in people trafficking cases involving illegal immigrants and sex trade workers. These people may not have been chained up but that doesn't mean they weren't being cynically exploited and abused like so many others have and will continue to be.

[Osem]

Seems like this sort of thing is not only happening here:

Criminal elements of the British and Irish travelling community have been transporting vulnerable British men abroad to work as virtual slaves.

An investigation by the BBC Ten O'Clock News and Radio 5 Live Breakfast has uncovered at least 32 victims.

The European Commission describes it as modern slavery and says this is the tip of the iceberg.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16836065

[Maggy J]

I'm wondering how far this has spread and how long it may have been taking place.

[Osem]

Me too. Heard an 'expert' being interviewed on BBC radio this morning who claimed thet HMG's action with regard to slavery were fixated on migrants within the UK as opposed to vulnerable UK citizens outside it. It seems the authorities aren't really on the lookout for this sort of thing.

[Tim Deegan]

This is actually old news. The report came out last September

[Osem]

The original post on this thread was also last September. The BBC's investigation about UK citizens being trafficked overseas has only just come out AFAIK.