Two Saskatchewan men have been sentenced to prison for human trafficking and the exploitation of a woman who travelled from Bangladesh to Canada expecting a restaurant job that would help her obtain temporary foreign worker status.
Mohammed (MD) Masum, 45, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in Saskatoon provincial court after being convicted of human trafficking and three counts of sexual assault. Judge Miguel Martinez described the assaults in layman's terms as rapes, says CBC.
Sohel Haider, 56, received a four-year prison sentence, the mandatory minimum for human trafficking. The charges covered the period between 1 August 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Judge Martinez also ordered the two men to pay restitution to the victim for unpaid wages, with Masum ordered to pay $12,268 and Haider $5,885.16.
The victim's identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban. In her victim impact statement, she described the emotional, psychological and social consequences of her experience.
"I can't forget them. They stopped my dream. They destroyed my life. They ruined my honour, my future, my family, my career," she wrote.
She said she had previously been self-sufficient but now lived in fear, struggled to trust others and found it difficult to rely on support from other people. Reflecting on her arrival in Canada, she said she "felt like a product being sold to a customer."
The woman also said gossip in her home community in Bangladesh had damaged her family's reputation and ruined her siblings' futures.
Woman moved between restaurants
The woman initially worked at a restaurant operated by Haider in Gull Lake before being sent to Tisdale to work at a restaurant run by Masum.
Neither man had the proper work permits for her, despite telling her they were working to obtain them, according to the information presented in the case. She was underpaid and required to work long hours six days a week.
When a work permit was eventually issued, it was designated for a different restaurant in Elrose. Shortly after arriving there, the woman escaped with help from people who intervened after becoming concerned about her situation.
Crown sought longer sentences
Crown prosecutor Leslie Dunning sought a 15-year prison sentence for Masum and five-and-a-half years for Haider.
Dunning argued that both men had abused positions of trust and authority by controlling "virtually every aspect of her life". She said Masum had exploited the woman for "his own sexual gratification" and that the assaults involved physical violence.
Masum's lawyer, Zachary Carter, argued for a sentence of seven to nine years. Haider's lawyer, Chris Gratton, sought the mandatory minimum sentence of four years, arguing that aggravating factors warranting a longer term were absent.
The court sentenced Masum to 14 years and Haider to four years in prison.