LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two Egyptian nationals who pleaded guilty to enslaving a 10-year-old Egyptian girl at their Southern California home, making her work long hours serving their family of seven, were sentenced on Monday to prison terms.
Abdel Nasser Youssef Ibrahim, 57, was sentenced to three years in federal prison and his former wife, Amal Ahmed Ewisabd Motelib, 43, was given 22 months behind bars by a federal judge. Prosecutors said the pair will be deported after serving their sentences.
U.S. District Judge James Selna also ordered the defendants to pay their victim more than $76,000 in restitution, which represents the money the girl should have been paid during the two years she worked for their family.
"The young victim in this case was subject to inhumane conditions that included both physical and verbal abuse," U.S. Attorney Debra Yang said in a written statement.
"As a result of recent changes in federal law she has been granted a visa that will allow her to stay and hopefully prosper in the United States," Yang said.
In pleading guilty in June the defendants admitted bringing the girl to the United States from Egypt in 2000 when she was 10 under an arrangement with her parents, confiscating her passport and forcing her to work 16 hours a day as a domestic servant.
The girl was required to assist the couple's youngest children in getting ready for school, to prepare and serve food, clean the home, do laundry and work in the yard, according to court papers.
She was not allowed to attend school and was told she would be arrested if she was spotted alone outside their home. The couple each admitted to slapping the girl at least once to get her to work, the court papers said. Authorities did not say how her plight came to light.
This fate happens daily to so many girls and young women - who work in the household's of richer Egyptians - and no one is interested in their stories. Well, other countries other customs...... Posted by Left.Side.Lying.State.Of.Mind (Member # 6244) on :
Not condoning what that couple did...but did you ever wonder how they got a visa for an unrelated 10 year old girl to come to the U.S.? Who approved *that* and why?
Posted by Tigerlily (Member # 3567) on :
"...The indictment alleges that Ibrahim and Motelib obtained the victim's services through extortionate threats against the victim's sister in Egypt. The couple then arranged through a third party to fraudulently obtain a visa for the victim so she could travel to the United States. Ibrahim and Motelib then harbored the victim "in squalid conditions and conceal[ed] her presence from immigration, school, and police officials so that she could serve their family as a domestic servant," the indictment reads..."
IRVINE COUPLE INDICTED ON INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE CHARGES FOR HOLDING GIRL AS VIRTUAL SLAVE TO SERVE THEIR FAMILY
quote:Originally posted by Left.Side.Lying.State.Of.Mind: Not condoning what that couple did...but did you ever wonder how they got a visa for an unrelated 10 year old girl to come to the U.S.? Who approved *that* and why?
I was just thinking the same thing....
Posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha (Member # 12077) on :
Besides the fact this happened all the time with the former soviet block after 1992, there are loop holes and often its forged paperwork before the BCIS wen't electronic at airports.
Posted by doodlebug (Member # 11649) on :
Why don't they send her back to her family instead of letting her stay here? What's a 10 yr old gonna do in a foreign country anyways. The poor little thing. I hope that is all that happened to her 'cause you know how these stories usually turn out.
Posted by citizen (Member # 1344) on :
If I remember rightly, she is at least 18 now? Her parents sold her into slavery so what would be the point of returning her to them?
Posted by maxman (Member # 12150) on :
quote:Originally posted by citizen: If I remember rightly, she is at least 18 now? Her parents sold her into slavery so what would be the point of returning her to them?
SLAVERY?!!Let the girl stay&be educated,she stands a better chance with strangers than those devils who 'sold' her!Dont you think?? Posted by annie_81 (Member # 4149) on :
They could have easily forged a new birth certificate for her, making it look like shes their daughter.
Her family most be trying to be so kind and apologetic to her now that she's got all this money!
Oh and you are right, this stuff happens all the time here in Egypt and in other countries and nothing comes out of it. Im sure the Egyptian family did not think that it was so wrong to do that, probably thought they were doing her a favour!
Posted by Desperate Housewife (Member # 11445) on :
Yes Annie you are correct. I feel disgusted with families that hire young maids and feel they they are doing the family a favor. You always hear them claim that they are giving her a better life than the sub living standards she endured with her family.
Meanwhile you see them at the clubs babysitting drinking water while the little brats are sipping on cold Pepsis or exotic fruit drinks. She isn't even allowed to be a child, like she's a born servant. And then these so-called upperclass b**ches walk around with their heads in the air, like they are really something because they have a live-in nanny child. Sick!
Posted by Tigerlily (Member # 3567) on :
I lived for around four months with an Egyptian family when I first came to Cairo which employed a 13 year old illiterate girl named Omayma. This girl was treated like s*** and she had to do most of the chores in the household, at night she found rest on a mattress on the floor, I felt so sorry for her. There were times when my guestmother - a well educated and usually nice person - would close the kitchen door, scream and even slap that young girl couple of times. For me it was very disturbing to be around that kind of abuse. I wonder if the Egyptian woman ever thought of how her treatment would affect that little village girl ....... Posted by ChinderallaAngelTormentor CAT (Member # 11953) on :
Unfortunately that kind of treatment to those poor people was the norm here..... it was probably old school............. I dont think that happens anymore
Some 20 years ago, I remember my grandmother a very generous kind person used to beat up the girl maid who worked for her........ the girl used to be both a compulsive liar & a thief. But i think she never meant to be abusive....... she only wanted to punish her & teach her to be a good girl in an old classical way
Now you'd just fire the girl.
Posted by sunburnt (Member # 4986) on :
Of course it still happens here children are sold into slavery by their families and beaten by their masters.
Regardless of the fact they got a visa for america the child should never have been sold in the first place, why these people keep having children they cant afford beats me
Posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha (Member # 12077) on :
quote:Originally posted by sunburnt: Of course it still happens here children are sold into slavery by their families and beaten by their masters.
Regardless of the fact they got a visa for america the child should never have been sold in the first place, why these people keep having children they cant afford beats me
Hmm, possibly the WHO should go around and do forced hystrectomies and forced sterlizations to solve the problem.
Otherwise improvements need to be made in birth control at a developing world price.
I don't think many impoverished couples plan to have that many kids.
In the meantime it should be forced upon the rich either to clean up after themselves, raise their own kids, tend to their own gardens, wash their own cars, fix their own meals and not hire help to do these things.
OR
Force hystrectomies and force sterilization on the rich so they don't have children in which to teach these inhumane attitudes and behaviors.
I think the rich have more options and more control to chose.
Posted by sunburnt (Member # 4986) on :
I only know if I couldnt feed the children I already have there is no way I would be bringing more into this world.
Posted by ChinderallaAngelTormentor CAT (Member # 11953) on :
quote:Originally posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha: In the meantime it should be forced upon the rich either to clean up after themselves, raise their own kids, tend to their own gardens, wash their own cars, fix their own meals and not hire help to do these things.
[/QB]
You fcukin seem to know all the answeres. do you?
What's your damn problem with the rich in Egypt anyway?? Is that what they call envy?? I noticed you are fixated on that
Posted by sunburnt (Member # 4986) on :
What would happen to all the woman that work as maids? Who would feed their families?
Posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha (Member # 12077) on :
quote:Originally posted by ChinderallaAngelTormentor CAT:
quote:Originally posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha: In the meantime it should be forced upon the rich either to clean up after themselves, raise their own kids, tend to their own gardens, wash their own cars, fix their own meals and not hire help to do these things.
You fcukin seem to know all the answeres. do you?
What's your damn problem with the rich in Egypt anyway?? Is that what they call envy?? I noticed you are fixated on that [/QB]
If you could get over yourself you'd notice that I have a problem with classism anywhere, not just Egypt.
But again you are proving my point about you, hows that Palace in Shoubra Shinderella?
Posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha (Member # 12077) on :
quote:Originally posted by sunburnt: What would happen to all the woman that work as maids? Who would feed their families?
Well then young girls who work as servants in these homes would be saved from their master's abuse.
When the rich no longer employ practical female children as servants then infantcide would grow knowing that these girls would serve their families no purpose.
Posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha (Member # 12077) on :
quote:Originally posted by sunburnt: I only know if I couldnt feed the children I already have there is no way I would be bringing more into this world.
Because you can afford the birth control pills and can afford abortion.
Posted by ChinderallaAngelTormentor CAT (Member # 11953) on :
quote:Originally posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha: If you could get over yourself you'd notice that I have a problem with classism anywhere, not just Egypt.
But again you are proving my point about you, hows that Palace in Shoubra Shinderella? [/QB]
You need to get over your sick self & your compelexes Albino
How's your cave in Shebin???
Posted by sunburnt (Member # 4986) on :
Maybe I can say no
Posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha (Member # 12077) on :
quote:Originally posted by sunburnt: Maybe I can say no
Because your culture allows you to
Posted by sunburnt (Member # 4986) on :
Is infanticide not abuse?
Posted by Everyone's_a_Pascha (Member # 12077) on :
quote:Originally posted by sunburnt: Is infanticide not abuse?
When did I ever say it wasn't?
But that isn't a choice you have to make, so why let it bother you?
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Is that what they call envy?? I noticed you are fixated on that