[Stop-traffic] Press Release/US/DOJ: DOJ Prosecution of Trafficking

[Melanie Orhant]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRT
THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2004 (202) 514-2008
WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888

WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO HOLDING A DOMESTIC WORKER
IN INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Justice Department announced today that
an Indonesian national pleaded guilty in United States
District Court in Los Angeles to holding a young Indonesian
woman in involuntary servitude.

In 1997, the defendant, Mariska Trisanti, arranged for the
victim to travel from Indonesia to Los Angeles on a tourist
visa, with the expectation that the victim would work for her
for two years as a nanny and housekeeper.  When the victim
arrived in the United States however, Trisanti confiscated
her passport to prevent her from running away and put her to
work for 17 hours or more per day, seven days a week.  The
victim received virtually no compensation for her labor.
Although Trisanti initially made some payments to the
victim's relatives, even those payments stopped entirely
after the first year of service.

"Holding another human being in involuntary servitude is
morally reprehensible," said Assistant Attorney General
Acosta.  "The Justice Department is committed to aggressively
investigating and prosecuting those who would perpetrate this
ancient evil."

Trisanti compelled the victim's labor through constant
threats and physical abuse.  Trisanti threatened that if the
victim attempted to escape, she would be arrested and put in
jail.   

In the spring of 2000, Trisanti took a trip to Indonesia and
left the victim and another young Indonesian domestic servant
in the custody of Trisanti's husband.  During this time, the
victim and the other young woman fled the household.

Sentencing is scheduled to occur on July 12, 2004.  Trisanti
faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine
of $250,000.  Trisanti could also be ordered to make
restitution to the victim.

This Administration has made fighting human trafficking a
significant priority. Since January 2001, the Division has
charged 113 human traffickers - nearly a three-fold increase
over the previous three years, and incarcerated 77
defendants - an increase of more than 50 percent over the
previous three years. Over that same period, the Division has
opened 210 new investigations into trafficking allegations,
more than double the number opened in the previous three
years. As of January 28, 2004, the Division had open 146
trafficking investigations, more than twice the number open
in January 2001.


This case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the
Department of Labor.   The case was prosecuted by attorneys
from the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice
and the United States Attorneys Office in Los Angeles.
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