A Laval couple is demanding a public apology from the RCMP after they were arrested earlier this year in what the Mounties called Canada's first case of human trafficking.
All charges laid against Nichan Manoukian and his wife, Manoudshag Saryboyadjian, were dropped Thursday following an investigation into their alleged exploitation of their Ethiopian nanny.
The Quebec Crown said it was dropping charges against the couple based on the appearance of new facts.
The good news was little consolation to the couple, who said they were treated as though they were already guilty. "[Police] took our mug shots with numbers as though we were criminals," Manoukian said.
The couple maintained their nanny was treated like a member of the family throughout the eight years she worked for them — in Quebec and in Lebanon.
The nanny went out when she wanted, used the phone as much as she liked, had the keys to the front door and knew the code to the burglar alarm, Saryboyadjian said Friday.
The high-profile investigation exacted a toll on the couple, who are subject to dirty stares in public, Saryboyadjian said. "This story has taken 10 years off our life," she said.
A public apology could start the mending the family needs now, she said.
The couple was arrested in May when the RCMP held a news conference to explain the charges against the couple.
The Mounties alleged the Ethiopian nanny was practically a slave. "She couldn't get out, she couldn't have access to her papers, and the only time she could get out was with the couple, the persons who hired her," said Const. Magdala Turpin at the time.
The RCMP insists it was just doing its job when it followed up in its investigation.
The nanny — whose name hasn't been released — received refugee status shortly after the allegations were made, the couple's lawyer said.
No comments:
Post a Comment