The case of two Fijian women found to be “sex slaves” at a Chinese run massage parlour in Edmonton, Canada has been thrown out due to lack of witnesses.
Canadian news agencies are reporting that the case, which had touted the first human trafficking in Western Canada, was resolved with three people pleading guilty to keeping a common bawdy house.
It said however, as a result of “significant witness issues”, the crown had to withdraw multiple charges of human trafficking, unlawful confinement and living on the avails of prostitution.
At the time of the September 2009 raid at a West End Massage parlour and subsequent arrests, police said they had rescued three terrified immigrant women, two from Fiji, forced to perform sex acts, calling it a case of “modern day slavery”.
Court heard the victims, who police earlier said were from China and Fiji, performed sex acts for money at the Sachi Professional Massage and Spa.
The women were forced to pay a room rental fee of a minimum of $50 for each sex act, whether it was at the massage parlour or on an outcall basis, which brought in between $1,200 and $2,000 a day to the bawdy house.
Three Chinese nationals each pleaded guilty in provincial court to one count of keeping a common bawdy house and were all placed on probation for two years.
Story by: Roneel Lal
Source: Edmonton Chronicle
