Jerwin Royupa arrived in Australia with a heart full of aspirations, eager to acquire new skills while working at a remote vineyard in rural New South Wales.
Tragically, just five weeks later, the 21-year-old from the Philippines succumbed to injuries after jumping from a moving vehicle driven by his training visa sponsor.
His untimely death has ignited calls for enhanced monitoring of modern slavery offenses and the establishment of a national anti-slavery hotline.
During an inquest into Royupa’s death, it was revealed that the recent university graduate had been exploited by his employer, whose identity remains undisclosed due to legal protections.
Coroner Rebecca Hosking concluded that Royupa was subjected to 60-hour work weeks of manual labor without receiving the promised training, and he did not receive his agreed-upon pay.
Furthermore, Royupa’s inability to access his passport while at the vineyard heightened his fears for his safety.
An increasingly fearful Mr Royupa fled his employer’s moving vehicle in March 2019 after the man threatened to take him to the police station or airport, the coroner found.
When the migrant was lying unconscious on the road bleeding, his sponsor disparaged him and delayed calling an ambulance before disobeying a request to leave the scene.
Jerwin Royupa (pictured) was full of dreams and eager to learn new skills when he arrived in Australia to work at an isolated winery in rural NSW
‘His conduct was deplorable,’ Ms Hosking said.
She referred the circumstances surrounding Mr Royupa’s death to the Australian Federal Police for further investigation, raising the spectre of possible criminal charges.
‘He was a very special young man prematurely lost, not just to his family and friends but to the deeper community,’ the coroner said.
She recommended that the federal and NSW anti-slavery commissioners liaise with the Commonwealth, the attorney-general and the Fair Work Commission to consider how to bolster the reporting of modern slavery offences.
That should include the establishment of a national anti-slavery hotline and mandatory training for police officers who work in conditions where modern slavery may arise, such as isolated areas.
The inquest into Mr Royupa’s death is the first in the country to examine concerns of forced labour since modern slavery offences were enshrined in 2013.
Mr Royupa’s family said his death raised concerns about the welfare of migrant workers in Australia and the adequacy of support.
‘We know that Jerwin was deceived by a sham training program,’ his sister Jessa Joy Royupa said.
An inquest into his death was told the recent university graduate (pictured with his parents on graduation day) was exploited by his employer, who cannot be identified for legal reasons
‘We know that he was fearful of his employer. We know that he had multiple risk factors of forced labour.’
She welcomed the referral of the matter to the AFP but appealed to the federal government to do better for migrant workers.
‘You have to do much more to keep people who come to work here safe,’ Ms Royupa said.
‘No family should have to experience the kind of heartbreak we have been through.’
The 21-year-old’s attempts to seek help from government and other agencies in the days before his death were tragically unsuccessful.
‘Jerwin deserved protection and support. Our systems failed to provide it,’ Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner Chris Evans said.
Modern slavery remediation service Domus 8.7 said the inquest was an important milestone for issues of migrant safety.
‘This inquest has drawn attention to the vulnerabilities faced by migrant workers who are tied to a single employer and isolated from support,’ said service advocate Moe Turaga, who survived slave labour on an Australian farm after coming from Fiji as a teenager.
The migrant worked on an isolated winery in NSW before his untimely death (stock image)
‘The Royupa family have waited for many years for this moment, and we acknowledge the courage and persistence they have shown in seeking answers about Jerwin’s death.’
While she expressed relief at finally having answers after almost seven years, Ms Royupa said they provided no comfort.
‘Today is still a sad and painful day,’ she said.
‘Jerwin was a young man with everything to live for. We all loved him.’
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