Texas couple sentenced for enslaving Guinean woman for 16 years

Status
Not open for further replies.
Texas couple sentenced for enslaving Guinean woman for 16 years
  • Mohamed Toure and Denise Cros-Toure receive seven years
  • Toure is son of late Guinean president Sekou Toure

2200.jpg

This composite provided by the Tarrant county sheriff’s department in Texas shows Mohamed Toure, left, and Denise Cros-Toure, a Fort Worth couple convicted of enslaving a Guinean woman for 16 years Photograph: AP

A Texas couple have been sentenced to seven years in federal prison each for enslaving a Guinean woman for 16 years.

A federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas, sentenced Mohamed Toure and Denise Cros-Toure each to two seven-year terms and one five-year term, all sentences to be served concurrently.

The Toures are the son and daughter-in-law of the late Guinean president Ahmed Sekou Toure, who helped lead Guinea to independence from French rule in 1958. Sekou Toure was the country’s first president, a role he held until his death in 1984.

The 58-year-olds from Southlake must also serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms and pay their victim $288,000 in restitution. They also will be deported to Guinea.

The couple and defense attorneys are exploring an appeal, said Scott Palmer, attorney for Cros-Toure.


Trial evidence showed the Toures brought the girl, then aged at least five years but perhaps as old as 13, from her rural Guinean village in 2000. They forced her to work without pay in their home as a housekeeper, cook and nanny until she fled and alerted authorities.

The Toures were convicted in January, and prosecutors had sought the full 20-year prison sentences allowed by law. However, Judge Reed O’Conner tempered the sentence request.

“Forced labor trafficking cases are notoriously difficult to prosecute – in part because victims are often afraid to speak out,” said US attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “It took tremendous courage for this young woman to share her story at trial.”

However, Palmer said the judge’s decision to temper the sentence suggests the trial judge did not believe the pair were as evil as portrayed by prosecutors.

“I think he saw through the exaggerations and lies of the prosecution,” he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...le-sentenced-enslaving-guinean-woman-16-years
 
16 years :mindblown: my question is if she came at the age of 13 that would make her now 29 years old, why didn't she alert the authorities long ago ? if she has been in the country that long.
 

NotMyL

"You are your best thing"
VIP
16 years :mindblown: my question is if she came at the age of 13 that would make her now 29 years old, why didn't she alert the authorities long ago ? if she has been in the country that long.
Maybe they filled a lot of fear in her, like if you go to the authorities they would send you back to Guinea
 

Timo Jareer and proud

2nd Emir of the Akh Right Movement
16 years :mindblown: my question is if she came at the age of 13 that would make her now 29 years old, why didn't she alert the authorities long ago ? if she has been in the country that long.
The article stated she could have been as young as 5 when she was taken from her village. She most likely does not know an itch of english.
 

Basra

LOVE is a product of Doqoniimo mixed with lust
Let Them Eat Cake
VIP
Texas couple sentenced for enslaving Guinean woman for 16 years
  • Mohamed Toure and Denise Cros-Toure receive seven years
  • Toure is son of late Guinean president Sekou Toure

2200.jpg

This composite provided by the Tarrant county sheriff’s department in Texas shows Mohamed Toure, left, and Denise Cros-Toure, a Fort Worth couple convicted of enslaving a Guinean woman for 16 years Photograph: AP

A Texas couple have been sentenced to seven years in federal prison each for enslaving a Guinean woman for 16 years.

A federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas, sentenced Mohamed Toure and Denise Cros-Toure each to two seven-year terms and one five-year term, all sentences to be served concurrently.

The Toures are the son and daughter-in-law of the late Guinean president Ahmed Sekou Toure, who helped lead Guinea to independence from French rule in 1958. Sekou Toure was the country’s first president, a role he held until his death in 1984.

The 58-year-olds from Southlake must also serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms and pay their victim $288,000 in restitution. They also will be deported to Guinea.

The couple and defense attorneys are exploring an appeal, said Scott Palmer, attorney for Cros-Toure.


Trial evidence showed the Toures brought the girl, then aged at least five years but perhaps as old as 13, from her rural Guinean village in 2000. They forced her to work without pay in their home as a housekeeper, cook and nanny until she fled and alerted authorities.

The Toures were convicted in January, and prosecutors had sought the full 20-year prison sentences allowed by law. However, Judge Reed O’Conner tempered the sentence request.

“Forced labor trafficking cases are notoriously difficult to prosecute – in part because victims are often afraid to speak out,” said US attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “It took tremendous courage for this young woman to share her story at trial.”

However, Palmer said the judge’s decision to temper the sentence suggests the trial judge did not believe the pair were as evil as portrayed by prosecutors.

“I think he saw through the exaggerations and lies of the prosecution,” he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...le-sentenced-enslaving-guinean-woman-16-years


I want to see a story of an Arab going to Jail for enslaving an Ethiopian
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top