Râșcani woman sentenced to 15 years for child labor exploitation
In several localities in the northern region of the country, a 53-year-old woman from the Râșcani district was sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking two minors for labor and begging.
The judges ruled to award moral damages of 300,000 lei to the victims and to maintain the seizure of the defendant's house and agricultural land, valued at over one million lei, to compensate for the damage caused by the crime.
The case occurred between 2009 and 2016. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the defendant sheltered two minors, aged five and nine, in her home located in a commune in the Râșcani district.
Taking advantage of the children's vulnerable situation and threatening them with physical violence, the defendant forced them to beg in several locations, including Râșcani, Drochia, Glodeni, and Fălești districts, as well as in the municipality of Bălți.
The children were also compelled to work, among other activities, collecting, cleaning, and selling nuts, with all the money earned appropriated by the defendant.
Although the woman initially made statements and participated in the case proceedings, she later failed to appear at subsequent court hearings and did not inform the court of her whereabouts.
As a result, prosecutors requested that the defendant be prosecuted, a request that the court granted.
In addition to the prison sentence and payment of material damages, the judges also ruled that the woman be deprived of her right to work in any field related to human resources management and activities involving minors for a period of five years.
