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| London slavery case: Suspects 'former Maoist activists' | London slavery case: Suspects 'former Maoist activists' |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A married couple suspected of holding three women as slaves for more than 30 years are former Maoist activists Aravindan Balakrishnan and his wife Chanda, the BBC understands. | A married couple suspected of holding three women as slaves for more than 30 years are former Maoist activists Aravindan Balakrishnan and his wife Chanda, the BBC understands. |
| According to Marxist archives they were leading figures at the Mao Zedong Memorial Centre based in Acre Lane, Brixton, south London, in the 1970s. | According to Marxist archives they were leading figures at the Mao Zedong Memorial Centre based in Acre Lane, Brixton, south London, in the 1970s. |
| It was raided by police and five people, including the pair, were held. | It was raided by police and five people, including the pair, were held. |
| Mr Balakrishnan, 73, and his 67-year-old wife were arrested on Thursday. | Mr Balakrishnan, 73, and his 67-year-old wife were arrested on Thursday. |
| Three women were rescued from their home in Brixton a month earlier. | Three women were rescued from their home in Brixton a month earlier. |
| The couple has been linked to 13 addresses across London, the Met has confirmed. The force would not confirm or deny their names. | The couple has been linked to 13 addresses across London, the Met has confirmed. The force would not confirm or deny their names. |
| Police carried out house-to-house inquiries in and around Peckford Place, Brixton - where the women were rescued - over the weekend. | Police carried out house-to-house inquiries in and around Peckford Place, Brixton - where the women were rescued - over the weekend. |
| Officers said the women had suffered years of "physical and mental abuse". | Officers said the women had suffered years of "physical and mental abuse". |
| They lived together as a "collective" after two of the women met the man through a "shared political ideology". | They lived together as a "collective" after two of the women met the man through a "shared political ideology". |
| The three alleged victims, a 30-year-old Briton, a 57-year-old Irish woman and a 69-year-old Malaysian, are in the care of a non-governmental organisation following their rescue last month. | |
| Previous arrests | Previous arrests |
| Police said the 30-year-old woman, who is believed to have lived her entire life in servitude, had a birth certificate but no other official papers. | Police said the 30-year-old woman, who is believed to have lived her entire life in servitude, had a birth certificate but no other official papers. |
| She is said to have written more than 200 impassioned letters and poems to her neighbour over an eight-year period, the Daily Mail reported. | |
| In one of the letters, she said she felt like a "fly trapped in a spider's web" and described her "unspeakable torment". | In one of the letters, she said she felt like a "fly trapped in a spider's web" and described her "unspeakable torment". |
| The case came to light after the Irish woman rang Freedom Charity to say she had been held against her will. | The case came to light after the Irish woman rang Freedom Charity to say she had been held against her will. |
| The couple were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of being involved in forced labour and slavery. They have also been arrested for immigration offences. | The couple were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of being involved in forced labour and slavery. They have also been arrested for immigration offences. |
| They have been released on bail until January. | They have been released on bail until January. |
| 'Complex case' | |
| Police said they were of Indian and Tanzanian origin and came to the UK in the 1960s. They were previously arrested in the 1970s, but police will not say why and it is not known if they were charged. | |
| Thirty-seven officers from the Met's human trafficking unit are working on the case. | Thirty-seven officers from the Met's human trafficking unit are working on the case. |
| Lambeth Council said it had been working closely with the police in the weeks before the women's rescue. | |
| A spokesperson said: "This is an extremely complex case involving a number of individuals going back decades. | |
| "It is too early at this stage to provide the detail of any contact we may have had with them." | |
| The council said the security, confidentiality and well-being of those involved was paramount. |