Indian mother-of-four 'raped and tortured as she worked as domestic slave for family which paid her just £400 a year'

An Indian domestic worker was repeatedly raped and beaten by her employers who threatened to murder her if she complained, a court heard. 

The 39-year-old vulnerable and illiterate mother-of-four was used as a 'sexual toy' and 'general dogsbody' by an extended family and their friend who forced her to become their slave for a total of six years.

She was scalded with boiling water, burned with a hot iron, beaten and threatened her throat would be cut and her body buried in a back garden if she didn't do as she was told, a jury were told today.

Despite the woman approaching numerous agencies for help, Croydon Crown Court heard how the abuse continued.

The court heard how the woman initially went to live with Aleemuddin Mohammed, 44, a supermarket manager, and his wife Shamina Yousuf, 42, after they successfully applied for the woman's visa.

Both are accused of assaulting the woman and paying her just £24 during the two years and eight months she worked for them.

The woman was then allegedly forced to moved in with Mohammed's mother, 56-year-old shop worker Shanaz Begum, and her partner, butcher Enkarta Balapovi, 53, who is accused of raping her. 

After escaping the couple, she was then sent to live with an acquaintance of the family, optician Shashi Obhrai, 53, from Northwood, who is accused of assaulting her. 

Prosecutor Miss Caroline Haughey said: 'Each of these defendants treated her with contempt, ignoring her basic rights and taking advantage of her naivety, her vulnerability and her ignorance.

'Each of the defendants knew of her lack of education, expectation and awareness, both in the UK and India, and used that to get her to comply with their wishes whether as a domestic worker, sexual toy or general dogsbody.

'She slept in the garage or on the floor of the child's room. She was expected to wash, cook and clean for the family and be at their beck and call.'

The court heard how the woman was initially promised £480 a month when she moved into the Pavilion Way address with Mohammed, his wife Shamina Yousuf and their child.

The mother worked sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, between October 2004 and October 2010.

At the minimum wage rate, she should have been paid £172,288. In reality, the court heard, she received just £2,364.

Ms Haughey said: 'Yousuf was short-tempered and aggressive with her. She recalls being beaten around the head, causing her ears to bleed, and Yousuf poured boiling water over her hands and forbid her to receive any medical treatment.'

When Yousuf allegedly threw a cup at the victim, causing a two inch cut to her foot, she was arrested.

But Mohammed scared the woman into dropping the allegation and the police did not pursue the complaints she made to them.

After two years and eight months with the couple, who paid just £24 for that period, the victim escaped with the help of a Pakistani stranger at a supermarket. 

But desperate to get her passport back, she agreed to move in with Balapovi and Begum, where she massaged their legs and feet and was forced to work for £2-per hour at a sandwich shop downstairs.

'It was while at this address she was subjected to a catalogue of sexual assaults by Balapovi,' said Miss Haughey.

'She describes how this happened repeatedly, usually on weekends, Mondays and Tuesdays. She says it happened for: "As long as I lived in the house".'

After four months with the couple the victim was assisted by a charity and her rape complaints reported to the police, but she was then handed over to Obhrai and her ordeal continued.

Her daily routine included cooking for eight people, washing, cleaning, looking after Obhrai's sick mother and enduring beatings, hair pulling and threats at the hands of the defendant.

She was hospitalised after being pushed down a flight of stairs, struck with a rolling pin, burned with a hot iron and suffered stomach cramps and vomiting when forced to eat out of date food, the jury were told.

Again the victim fled and reported the abuse to police, but no action was taken and the beatings continued, with Obhrai threatening to slit her throat and bury her in the back garden. 

Eventually she contacted the charity Kalayaan, which campaigns for justice for migrant workers, who referred her to the U.K. Human Trafficking Centre and an investigation began.

Ms Haughey continued: 'Each of these defendants have collectively and severally taken advantage of her.

'Abusing her in their own way and, when she either becomes a threat or a nuisance, is passed on to the next party until she is no longer wanted.

'Their view of her has resulted in a prolonged and continued abuse of her. 

'Tragically various state agencies failed her too, ignoring her repeated pleas for help, not adhering to their own investigative practices, and it could be said ignoring the obvious.'

Balapovi has pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and along with his partner Begum two separate counts of arranging travel within the UK for exploitation.

Mohammed denies one count of trafficking within the UK for exploitation and sexually assaulting the victim.

Obhrai and Yousouf deny separate counts of causing actual bodily harm and Obhrai alone denies making threats to kill and trafficking within the UK for exploitation

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