R v Connors
[2013] EWCA Crim 324
Independent editorial summary — not the official judgment. Read the full judgment via the source link.
Ratio Decidendi
Holding another person in servitude or requiring forced labour is a serious criminal offence. The vulnerability of victims and the coercive control exercised by perpetrators are central to establishing the offence.
Facts
The defendants recruited vulnerable men from homeless shelters and forced them to work for long hours for little or no pay, living in squalid conditions. They were convicted of conspiracy to hold persons in servitude and require forced labour.
Judgment Summary
The Court of Appeal upheld the convictions. The court emphasised the relevance of the victims' vulnerability and the coercive methods used, including violence and intimidation, to keep them in servitude.
Key Quotes
"The exploitation of vulnerable workers through forced labour is a grave abuse of human rights."
— Lord Judge CJ
Subsequent Treatment
Cited as a leading case on forced labour under pre-Modern Slavery Act provisions.
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