THREE SLOVAKIANS were yesterday found guilty after trial of bringing a woman to Scotland “with intent to exploit her” and attempting to force her into a marriage from which they would obtain benefit.
A jury at Dundee Sheriff Court found Renata Kulova (20), Helena Kulova (47), both prisoners at Cornton Vale and Ivan Balog (27), a prisoner at Perth, guilty of arranging and facilitating travel for the woman between Slovakia and within the UK with intent to exploit her in the UK or elsewhere.
They were found guilty of attempting on various occasions to cause the woman to enter a marriage from which they or others intended to obtain benefits.
The three facilitated her movements in Slovakia and between Glasgow and Perth’s railway and bus stations with a view to exploiting her between May 1 and July 25.
Renata Kulova was also found guilty of stealing identification documents belonging to the woman and a man at two addresses in Glasgow between June 28 and July 18.
The jury of 10 men and five women gave their guilty verdicts on Renata and Helena Kulova as unanimous and the verdict on Balog was by majority.
The three were remanded in custody at the end of the trial before Sheriff Munro which had run for over the course of a month.
Sentence was deferred to January 14 for reports.
Tayside Police last night sent a stark warning to anyone involved in human trafficking that the force will continue to do all within its powers to curtail the “wicked enterprise.”
Detective Superintendent Willie Semple said: “The victims in this case were a vulnerable young couple who only wanted to seek out work and the relative prosperity that comes with it, so they could help to provide for loved ones and make a life for themselves.
“Instead, they were preyed upon, exploited and left in a bewildering and extremely upsetting situation through no real fault of their own.
“Human trafficking seldom comprises of isolated incidents.
“It is the lucrative domain of serious organised crime groups that seek to profit at the expense of innocent people.
“They are criminals who have no regard whatsoever for the people they seek to exploit.
“The consequences could have been far worse but for the woman’s appeal for help in a phone call back home and the family’s resourcefulness in contacting the Slovakian police.”
The Slovakian police, in turn, contacted the British authorities and inter-agency work led by Tayside Police meant the couple’s nightmare was brought to an end.
Mr Semple added: “Human trafficking is a crime that can be hidden from public sight, but this modern day slavery will not escape the attention of the authorities.
“We will work tirelessly to set the innocent victims of such crimes free and hold those responsible to account.
“At the same time, we fully recognise that more than just law enforcement is required to tackle this issue.
“The police and its partners need all available information and intelligence on human trafficking.
“And to achieve that, we must raise awareness within our communities about this kind of exploitation.
“We must also ensure that the victims of such crimes are supported and have the confidence to speak out, safe in the knowledge their cries for help will be heard and acted upon.”
ksmyth@thecourier.co.uk