A female doctor has pleaded not guilty to human trafficking and exploitation in what is believed to be the first case against modern slave-keeping to be tried in the UK.
Saeeda Khan, 68, is accused of smuggling Tanzanian national Mwanahanisi Mruke into the country to use her as a slave at her £500,000 home.
The 46-year-old victim was allegedly forced to work around the clock for no money and sleep on a mattress on Khan’s kitchen floor at the house in Harrow, northwest London.
Today Khan denied trafficking people for exploitation at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
She allegedly brought Mruke into the country on October 21, 2006, before paying her £10 each month to slavishly carry out work at the bungalow where she lived with her late husband Zahid.
Police said the payments soon stopped, and the victim was forced to continue cleaning, cooking and gardening for the couple.
She was rescued earlier this year after detectives from the Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Command, known as SCD9, swooped on the home.
Police had received a tip-off from an anti-slavery charity about Mruke’s situation.
Khan was granted bail until October 25, when she will return to court for a committal hearing.
Trading in slaves was made a criminal offence in the 19th century.
Human rights groups believe more than 1,000 people – including maids, fruit pickers and factory workers – are forced to work as slaves in the UK.
I wish I could have a slave.
That’s why you have children, Jarvis.
Wait a minute
‘forced to work around the clock’ yet finds time to sleep on a mattress!
This is why I had kids
This is a racist response to limit diversity in the U.K. The Koran (may it be ignited in Florida) allows for slavery and therefore the U.K. is racist for denying this doctor the right to practice her religion. Sharia Law must be instituted in U.K. or we will behead all Anglo-phones!
The law is always above religious belief, silly, or it would be okay to chuck all Muslims out of a Christian country, yanno how the bible says that’s cool(it’s funny, how similar the religions are). And you’ll behead all english speakers in non-english speaking countries? Okay then?
This b!tch looks like a troll. Holly Christ/Muhammed/Joseph Smith that is one fugly beast!
What would you expect from such a heathen beast?
Allah help ANYONE who has this monster as a DOCTOR!
This is a classic example of irresponsible reporting. Mrs. Saeeda Khan is neither a doctor nor Zahid is her late husband as alleged. I wonder how a civilsed society like Britons condemn someone unheard and start abusing just because there are some bald allegations against him/her? I would refrain myself from commenting upon the allegations because the matter is subjudice. Nevertheless please remember that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
M.L.Farooqui
Personally I don’t care whether she was a doctor or the patient in the loony bin, there is no exuse for enslavering other people, and this all happened almost down the road from me and I heard a lot of approove from the neighborhood. I will make sure I attend the second hearing and she gets what she deserves.