Modern slavery: in an ordinary house

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/23/modern-slavery-ordinary-house-editorial

Version 0 of 1.

Even in the light of the rescue of three allegedly enslaved women in south London, many of us struggle to grasp that slavery is not something that was purged from our society two centuries ago but is something that exists here in Britain, now, in our midst, and not even always behind locked doors. Yet grasp it we must, since the case of the three south London women, however remarkable it may be because of the length of their captivity, may even be the tip of a larger iceberg of captivity that modern society has proved disturbingly unable and perhaps unwilling to spot. The UK Human Trafficking Centre identified nearly 2,300 cases in 2012. Numbers appear to be rising steadily. A society that has experienced the ever-expanding Jimmy Savile caseload should not make rash assumptions that the current events are a one-off.

The details of the south London case remain sketchy. But they took place, in the police's haunting phrase, in "an ordinary house in an ordinary street". It seems that three women, aged 30, 57 and 69, were imprisoned for up to three decades – for the entirety of her life in the youngest's case. The women are reported to have been beaten, though whether and how their labour was exploited is not yet clear. It follows that much more detail will be required before the full policy implications can be reliably assessed.

The known details nevertheless suggest that this case falls both inside and outside some of the stereotypical myths about modern slavery. These myths, according to a Centre for Social Justice survey in March, include the assumption that modern slavery always involves the trafficking of human beings across borders – when internal trafficking is a substantial problem too. Nor should it be assumed, as it sometimes is, that modern slavery only involves women and children – when a 2011 study suggests that 40% of cases involve males. Modern slavery is not just another term for prostitution either. Cases are not confined to the sex industry. Victims can be exploited for forced labour of all kinds, as well as street crime, benefit crime and for outright domestic captivity.

The positive news is that this case will be another wake-up call in neighbourhoods as well as social agencies and government. Yesterday, the Freedom charity, which helped secure the south London women's freedom, was reportedly deluged with more calls for help. Frank Field, the Labour MP who is working with the government, is compiling evidence for a new bill. If the south London case can increase the momentum for modern awareness of slavery and modern prevention, then perhaps some good will come of this appalling event.

Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.