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London 'slavery' case women met 'in collective' | London 'slavery' case women met 'in collective' |
(35 minutes later) | |
Two of the three women found last month in an alleged slavery case in London met the man who has been arrested via a "collective", police say. | Two of the three women found last month in an alleged slavery case in London met the man who has been arrested via a "collective", police say. |
They met in the city "through a shared political ideology", police said, and went on to live together. | |
Officers said a couple arrested in the case came to the UK from India and Tanzania in the 1960s. | Officers said a couple arrested in the case came to the UK from India and Tanzania in the 1960s. |
Police are making house-to-house inquiries in the Brixton area of south London as part of the investigation. | Police are making house-to-house inquiries in the Brixton area of south London as part of the investigation. |
Inquiries are thought to be being carried out in Peckford Place. | Inquiries are thought to be being carried out in Peckford Place. |
The alleged victims - a 30-year-old British woman, a 57-year-old Irish woman and a 69-year-old Malaysian woman - are now in the care of a specialist non-governmental organisation after they were rescued from what police said was a "residential address" last month. | The alleged victims - a 30-year-old British woman, a 57-year-old Irish woman and a 69-year-old Malaysian woman - are now in the care of a specialist non-governmental organisation after they were rescued from what police said was a "residential address" last month. |
Police said the 30-year-old woman had a birth certificate but no other official papers. | |
'Shared political ideology' | 'Shared political ideology' |
The case came to light after the Irish woman rang Freedom Charity to say she had been held against her will. | |
A couple, both aged 67 and thought to be married, were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of immigration offences and they have been released on police bail until January. | |
Police had previously said they had also been arrested in the 1970s but have not revealed what it was in connection with. | |
In a statement, Cdr Steve Rodhouse of the Metropolitan Police, said: "We believe that two of the victims met the male suspect in London through a shared political ideology, and that they lived together at an address that you could effectively call a 'collective'. | |
"Somehow that collective came to an end and the women ended up continuing to live with the suspects. | |
"How this resulted in the women living in this way for over 30 years is what are seeking to establish, but we believe emotional and physical abuse has been a feature of all the victims' lives." | |
He said when the women were removed from the house on 25 October it was agreed "that police would not at that stage take any action". | He said when the women were removed from the house on 25 October it was agreed "that police would not at that stage take any action". |
'Emotionally fragile' | |
"Since that date we have been working to gain their trust and evidence, that came to fruition on 21 November when we were in a position to make arrests," he said. | "Since that date we have been working to gain their trust and evidence, that came to fruition on 21 November when we were in a position to make arrests," he said. |
"Between the 25 October and 21 November none of the three victims were reported missing to the police." | "Between the 25 October and 21 November none of the three victims were reported missing to the police." |
Cdr Rodhouse said the women were "emotionally fragile and highly vulnerable". | |
Aneeta Prem, founder of Freedom Charity, which has been working with the women, said: "We have seen an extraordinary rise in calls to our helpline since the rescue of the three women came into the public domain. | |
"These women have had traumatic and distributing experiences, which they have revealed to us. | "These women have had traumatic and distributing experiences, which they have revealed to us. |
"What needs to happen now is that the three victims, who have begun a long process of recovery, are able to go through their rehabilitation undisturbed, without being identified." | "What needs to happen now is that the three victims, who have begun a long process of recovery, are able to go through their rehabilitation undisturbed, without being identified." |