Lawyer Doubts Credibility of Victim in Zurich Court
Published: Thursday, Jul 13th 2023, 12:00
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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In the canton of Zurich, the lawyer of the accused man has questioned the credibility of the private plaintiff in court. The charges against his client are not sustainable. The prosecution is accusing the couple from Southeast Europe of human trafficking, usury, threats and other offenses. The man is also accused of sexual coercion. The prosecutor requested a 45-month prison sentence and a fine of 180 daily rates of 30 Swiss francs for the man, who had no prior convictions. The requests regarding the woman will follow separately. The private plaintiff, who is from the same cultural background as the accused, was illegally employed as a nanny in the couple's household between November 2015 and June 2016. She had no work permit for Switzerland. The prosecution alleges that the accused deliberately exploited the young woman's plight, harassed her and intimidated her with threats. The defense lawyer of the man focused on undermining the credibility of the young woman, whose testimony is central to the prosecution. She had her livelihood in her home country and was not in need, but wanted to earn more, which is understandable. There was no need, vulnerability or helplessness, said the lawyer. This would be a prerequisite for a conviction for human trafficking. The young woman had other job opportunities and had already worked in Switzerland before. In addition, she could have left the family at any time. Shortly after she left Switzerland after three months, she returned voluntarily to the family. The district court of Winterthur found the couple guilty of human trafficking, usury and threats in June 2021, and the man was also found guilty of sexual coercion. The man was sentenced to a partially suspended prison sentence of 36 months and the woman to a suspended sentence of 22 months.
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