Romania probes 'slaves' kidnapped, chained, forced to beg

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Romania probes 'slaves' kidnapped, chained, forced to beg

Alison Mutler, Associated Press

Updated 12:56 pm, Wednesday, July 13, 2016

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Dozens of vulnerable men and boys were kidnapped, chained, whipped, fed scraps and forced to work or fight each other for entertainment over an eight-year period in rural southern Romania, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Three men and two boys aged between 10 and 12 were found chained up and were rescued by police Wednesday in the mountain town of Berevoiesti during searches at the homes of suspects — members of an extended Roma family. Organized-crime prosecutors said the investigation involves some 90 suspects who they say exploited around 65 people with physical and mental disabilities or who were very poor, making them log wood, beg or look after animals.

Some 160 police and prosecutors took part in the raid Wednesday on the town, some 150 kilometers (95 miles) northwest of Bucharest.

Berevoiesti mayor Florin Bogdan told Digi24 television he had alerted authorities about suspicions of slavery in the town last year. Media reported investigators have been monitoring suspects for months and took action when the majority of suspects were at home.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Romania-probes-slaves-kidnapped-chained-8356228.php

[leftynyc]

1. WTF is wrong with humans?

I can't even begin to wrap my mind understanding what kind of person would do this to another. Good job of the police smashing this ring.

[closeupready]

3. "What kind of person"? Easy - a cruel one, a sociopath,

a cheapskate who thinks, "why pay for it if I can get it for free?"

And sadly, human slavery flourishes even today.

[closeupready]

2. Tip of the iceberg, no doubt.

K&R

[Nihil]

4. Unlikely to be taken much further though

> during searches at the homes of suspects — members of an extended Roma family.
> Organized-crime prosecutors said the investigation involves some 90 suspects

Cue the "Help, help I'm being persecuted!" defence that is used to evade justice
time after time ...

[closeupready]

5. As I understand it, Roma families are intensely private, and so

I imagine that you are correct, they have timeworn strategies devised in order to make it hard for authorities to distinguish between perp and victim.