forced to work?

[rnln]

Mansion servant enslaved by uber-rich New York family for nearly six years | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News

Do you sense fishy here? How can this family forced her to work for them? Can she just walk out? Or she agreed to work, then now want a lot more money because she is dealing with the rich?

[stomachmonkey]

In some cultures indentured servitude still flourishes.

[rnln]

Still it is not forcing

[willtel]

I think this happens a decent amount in NY. They make promises to these people and when they arrive they take their passports from them and threaten them if the try and tell someone.

It is hard for you to imagine because you are educated and know how the law in this country works. Someone fresh off the boat from a 3rd world country doesn't know that we protect them from these kinds of things.

[RWebb]

this type of slavery is actually fairly common - even in the US

but in this specific example, I'd think the value of free room & board (in a mansion*) would be factored into the calculations, so the "payments" ought to easily surpass min. wage - how free was she to quit, tho? that is the real issue

* unclear if she got free use of the helicopter and its landing pad

[rnln]

The point is that I disagree with the article on how it is forced, and the way they calculated the wage. Here, many people are getting similar pay and do similar thing. The only different is that they are free to go anywhere they want, I assume.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by rnln

Mansion servant enslaved by uber-rich New York family for nearly six years | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News

How can this family forced her to work for them? Can she just walk out?

This is actually very common. They do control the "slaves" through fear and real physical abuse. I read articles about this sort of thing fairly often. If the "slaves" don't work, they get yelled at, beaten, denied food, locked in closets, etc....

It's pretty amazing what some people will do to other people.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by masraum

" don't work, they get yelled at, beaten, denied food, locked in closets, etc....

Tab's mother tried this with him but it didn't work - he still hasn't got a job.

[Noah930]

Off topic, but I wonder what's the history behind that estate where this occurred. Llenroc is Cornell spelled backwards. Cornell Univ. is also located in upstate NY, and there's a fraternity house there named Llenroc.

[willtel]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Off topic, but I wonder what's the history behind that estate where this occurred. Llenroc is Cornell spelled backwards. Cornell Univ. is also located in upstate NY, and there's a fraternity house there named Llenroc.

This says it is named after the stone used in construction.

Llenroc Estate, Estate of the Day

It would be a nice cozy little summer home.

[Noah930]

Also that the man who built the home was a Cornell alum, and obviously would have known about Llenroc in Ithaca, as well.

[Rick Lee]

If you don't know your rights, you don't have any. Works that way everywhere in the world.

[RWebb]

nope

[TimT]

There was an Indonesian couple who lived in Upper Brookville (I think could have been Muttontown, Jericho?) who were convicted of enslaving a woman who I think was Indonesian also...

Aside from having to work basically 24/7 and having to live in a room under a stairway. The womans employer phyically and verbally abused her..

After enough abuse she made a break for it and somehow made it to a Duncan Donuts... and was able to to get help...

I'm sure there are more similar stories like this....

The Indonesian couple are now each living separately in government provided secure faciities...

Apparently in that culture its ingrained to have servants, as the couples children in interviews thought the woman was being treated nicely and it was better for her here than in Indonesia..

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by RWebb

nope

Yup.

If you don't know you can go to the cops, even the feds, and not get deported, even if you're an illegal, because you're a crime victim and witness, then you stay stuck. Your rights on the books don't mean squat if you don't exercise them.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by TimT

There was an Indonesian couple who lived in Upper Brookville (I think could have been Muttontown, Jericho?) who were convicted of enslaving a woman who I think was Indonesian also...
...

I remember that one, was either Muttontown or Brookville.

[944Larry]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Tab's mother tried this with him but it didn't work - he still hasn't got a job.

He does too have a job.......at PARF.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Yup.

If you don't know you can go to the cops, even the feds, and not get deported, even if you're an illegal, because you're a crime victim and witness, then you stay stuck. Your rights on the books don't mean squat if you don't exercise them.

nope

the reason wrickie is that there are people out there who will help others

I realize this is a foreign concept to you

I do agree it is best to know your rights

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by RWebb

nope

the reason wrickie is that there are people out there who will help others

Gee, thanks. How much help are those people when they have no idea who is enslaved or where? It's not like they go door to door in rich neighborhoods and ask to speak to the help. If you're living here illegally and don't know you won't get deported for reporting a crime in which you're a victim, well, your rights don't much matter. No one's rights matter unless they 1) exercise them or 2) others know they're being violated.

[RWebb]

I agree with your re-statement (1 & 2). There are people who will sound an alert and groups formed specifically to help prevent this sort of thing.

Then there are professionals who will help; some of them are called DA's...