A couple who held a woman in servitude for eight years have now faced financial repercussions, as the proceeds from the sale of their home have been seized, and they are required to pay a total of $140,000 in fines.

The incident dates back to 2016, when the Australian Federal Police’s Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) took action to restrain the couple’s property in Mount Waverley after they were charged with slavery-related crimes.

In 2021, a jury found the 61-year-old man and his 58-year-old partner guilty of the egregious act of enslaving an Indian woman who had been brought to Australia under the guise of a tourist visa. They were convicted of possessing a slave and exercising ownership rights over her.

The legal proceedings culminated in the woman receiving an eight-year prison sentence, with the possibility of parole after four years. Her male accomplice was sentenced to six years, with parole eligibility after three years.

Their Mount Waverley home was sold in 2016 for $1.4 million, and these proceeds have now been confiscated as part of the legal penalties imposed on the couple for their heinous acts.

The house was sold for $1.4 million in 2016.

After paying the mortgage and sale expenses, the couple’s equity in the property of about $475,000 was held by the Official Trustee and restrained before it was forefeited in 2022. 

Around $485,000 was granted to the victim as an ex gratia payment.

The CACT also applied for pecuniary penalty orders against the couple for the benefits they derived from enslaving the woman.

“This result highlights the unique breadth of the CACT’s work in targeting a wide range of criminal activity, including forced labour, and the importance of the Commonwealth’s Proceeds of Crime Act in preventing offenders from benefiting from their crimes,” National Manager Criminal Assets Confiscation, Fraud and Corruption, Stefan Jerga said.

“The successful outcome of this case is a testament to the dedication of the CACT’s highly skilled and determined lawyers and investigators.”

On October 9, the couple agreed to pay a combined pecuniary penalty of $140,000, in addition to the forfeited equity and accrued interest. 

“If you hold a person in domestic servitude, or commit other human trafficking offences, our investigators will work tirelessly to ensure offenders are found, put before the courts and remove victims from harm,” Human Trafficking Southern Command Team Leader Detective Sergeant Daisie Beckensall said.