CAST Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    Contact: Lisette Arsuaga

November 2009                                                     Phone: (213) 365-1906  ext.118      

COALITION TO ABOLISH SLAVERY AND TRAFFICKING PARTNERS WITH BET ZEDEK LEGAL SERVICES AND PRO BONO LAW FIRM TO ENSURE JUSTICE FOR TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR

Suminarti Sayuti Yusuf, originally from Indonesia, is one of thousands of victims of human trafficking enslaved in Los Angeles.   Her case was criminally prosecuted by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office in 2008 where Defendant, Sycamore Choi, pled guilty to felony labor trafficking charges.  On October 30, 2009, a jury at the Los Angeles Superior Court awarded Ms. Yusuf $268,000 in economic damages and for emotional distress as a domestic servant in the home of defendants Choi and her husband Andrew Tijia in La Cañada, California. In addition, the jury awarded Ms. Yusuf $500,000 in punitive damages, sending a clear message that Californians will not tolerate slavery in their state.  This verdict is believed to be the first case adjudicated under Civil Code 52.5, the California Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

Evidence presented during the seven day trial showed that Choi and Tijia created a climate of coercion and fear to force Ms. Yusuf to work over 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for no pay. Ms. Yusuf was fortunate to find justice through seeking the legal remedies and protections available to her under United States Federal and CA State law. After the damages were awarded, Yusuf emphatically stated “I want other trafficking survivors in the United States to know that they have a right to seek this justice too.”

Ms. Yusuf began receiving supportive services from the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) in April of 2006, after she was referred to the organization by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Kay Buck, Executive Director of CAST expects that “the verdict will send a signal to other traffickers that their actions have very real consequences and that slavery will not be tolerated in this country.” She also hopes that “the results in this case are a call to action for other civil litigators to take on cases to help stop human trafficking in California. There are likely hundreds, if not thousands, of other workers like Ms. Yusuf who could seek justice through pro bono counsel like the one offered by our partners O’Melveny & Myers LLP.”

Ms. Yusuf’s civil victory was made possible thanks to the tireless work of the poverty law firm Bet Tzedek Legal Services, and pro bono counsel from O`Melveny & Myers LLP. “CAST commends these organizations for their outstanding work,” said Executive Director Kay Buck. “In particular CAST would like to thank Kevin Kish, director of Bet Tzedek`s Employment Rights Project, who tried the case and O`Melveny Partner Paul McNamara and O’Melveny Attorney Bob Nicksin, trial co-counsel.”

 Through the collaboration of CAST, the Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, Bet Tzedek Legal Services and O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Ms. Yusuf has been able to seek legal redress for the crimes committed against her and the protection of the United States government through legal status.  CAST  believes this case will serve as an example of the justice available to the countless other victims who remain working against their will as domestic servants, in agricultural, factory and restaurant work, as well as forced prostitution. Her case is just one of many criminal and civil suits that will be brought in California against human traffickers.

With the assistance of CAST, Ms. Yusuf has recently completed a nursing assistant program and has been granted a T-visa which allows her to stay and work legally in this country for four years.  She will then apply to adjust her immigration status to legal permanent resident. She plans on joining CAST’s Survivor Caucus so that she can use her voice to help educate others about the reality of modern-day slavery in the United States.

ABOUT THE COALITION TO ABOLISH SLAVERY AND TRAFFICKING:

CAST is the first and only organization in the country dedicated exclusively to assisting trafficked persons. CAST provides direct services to meet the immediate food, shelter, medical and legal needs of trafficked persons.  CAST also conducts advocacy and training to law enforcement, service providers, policymakers and the general public to improve survivors’ access to justice. Since its establishment in 1998, CAST, the largest service provider in the country, has worked with hundreds of survivors of trafficking and trained over 10,000 service providers and law enforcement.  In Spring of 2004, CAST opened the first shelter in the country for survivors of trafficking.  On January 11, 2010, International Human Trafficking Awareness Day, CAST will launch a month long public awareness campaign to let communities know what they can do to fight human trafficking. Visit www.castla.org for a calendar of events.

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