Seven years in prison for putting Romanians begging – TVI24

The Court of Aveiro sentenced Thursday to a legal height of six and a half and seven years in prison two suspects brothers of being involved in a network of human trafficking for exploitation in begging.

The collective of judges found as a fact that the accused, 29 and 32, both of Romanian citizenship, enticed one fellow to come to work for Portugal, with the promise of receiving a higher salary to that which he received at his country, but the victim turned out to be kidnapped and exploited.

During the trial, the defendants denied the crimes they are charged, but the court gave weight to the statements of the victim, who reported ‘seemingly credible “the acts described in the indictment.

The oldest defendant was sentenced to four years in prison for a crime of trafficking in persons, four years for a crime of kidnapping and two and a half years for a crime of extortion. In legal matters worse, the court imposed a single sentence of six and a half years in prison.

In addition to these crimes, his brother was also sentenced to two years in prison for a crime of offense to physical integrity, and the legal height was set at seven years in prison.

The two accused will remain in custody pending the final judgment of the decision.

The process, which was declared of “special complexity”, had three more associated persons, including a younger brother of the accused and the alleged leader of the network, which are at large and will be tried in separate process.

According to the charges brought by the prosecution, at least since May 2012, the defendants decided to raise people of Romanian citizens to work in Portugal, by the promise of high pay and housing.

However, the goal of the defendants would for putting these people begging or fix cars, retaining the values ​​daily raised in these activities.

The case was discovered after the withdrawal of one of the alleged victims, who was approached by inspectors of the Aliens and Border Service in June 2013, in a car park in Aveiro. The victim, who was heard for future memory, said he was forced to fix cars for almost a year.

During this period, tried several times to escape, but was always achieved by the defendants, who beat him in order to view that could not disobey his orders. At one time, the victim lost consciousness and had to be assisted in the Emergency Hospital of the University of Coimbra.

In the indictment, the MP said that the victim was locked in a room against his will, along with other Romanian citizens, and there performed their meals that comprised the leftovers of what the defendants and their families ate.

In June 2013, the SEF conducted searches at two residences in Aveiro, were identified 19 Romanian citizens, including the two accused and a third defendant.

During the search, a safe with various identification documents of a Romanian national citizens were found.