Thursday, July 11, 2013

Saudi princess arrested on suspicion of holding maids captive in Irvine...

A Saudi princess was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of keeping slaves after police say a forced domestic servant from Kenya escaped from a three-story building in Irvine and alerted authorities.

Meshael Alayban, 42, was booked into jail in Orange County on Wednesday morning after police said they found four additional women allegedly being held against their wills at her building. Jail records listed Alayban's occupation as "princess."

All five women were in good health and showed no indications of physical abuse, officials said. The Saudi princess allegedly stole their passports and work contracts, and forced them to work long hours for less than $10 a day, said Irvine police Lt. Julia Engen.

“The laws of our nation and California do not tolerate people who deprive or violate the liberty of another and obtain forced labor or services,” Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said in a statement issued by the Irvine Police Department.

Alayban, a mother of three, may be the first person to be prosecuted in Orange County under a new law that increased penalties for human-trafficking offenses. She is one of six wives married to a grandson of the king of Saudi Arabia, authorities said. Full story...

Related posts:
  1. France pursues Saudi princess over €6m bill...
  2. Bahraini princess facing multiple torture charges...
  3. Egyptian designer runs afoul of Saudi princess, gets 500 lashes...
  4. Modern day slavery in the Gulf...
  5. Indian diplomat ordered to pay $1.5 million to maid as compensation for...

No comments:

Post a Comment