Justin Davenport, Crime Editor10 Mar 2011
Convicted: Pastor Lucy Adeniji kept trafficked children as 'slaves' in her east London home
Four young women forced into slavery in London by human traffickers have launched a £150,000 High Court damages claim against the Met for failing to rescue them.
The four, all now adults, managed to escape from the homes where they allege they were subjected to forced labour, servitude and abuse. They say officers failed to act on complaints dating back to 1997 and are suing
Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson for breach of their human rights.
The Met is contesting the action. It says the women - who cannot be named for legal reasons - did not agree to cooperate, making it difficult to investigate their claims at the time. There were also problems in pursuing an inquiry because some complaints referred to events long past.
The force says that when one of the women did cooperate, a successful prosecution of a woman followed.
Many of the alleged offences took place in Enfield. The women's counsel, Phillippa Kaufmann, told Mr Justice Wyn Williams that when they went to the police for help there was a worrying lack of concern for the "hugely vulnerable" victims.
She said police had a duty to act and investigate their allegations but did not even take statements from them.
Ms Kaufmann claims the four were brought to the UK as minors unlawfully for the purpose of enslavement.
Those who came forward were in fear they may be sent back to their own countries to face trafficking again.
Senior Scotland Yard sources said the force had now introduced training for all its officers in dealing with domestic servitude.
Church pastor Lucy Adeniji, 44, was last month convicted of trafficking children and keeping them as servants in her east London home in a case described as "modern-day slavery." She will be sentenced on Friday next week. The latest hearing continues.
Source: .thisislondon.co.uk
Domestic 'slave' girls sue Met for failing to save them from abuse | News
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