In a landmark conviction in India, a man guilty of holding six people in slavery has been sentenced to one year in prison and assessed a fine of 900 rupees. Despite the fact that Indian anti-slavery laws provide for sentences of up to three years in jail for slaveholders, perpetrators of the crime rarely face trial, due to an overburdened court system that has been slow to respond to victims of slavery. When perpetrators are tried, they have generally received token sentences of just a few hours. This major systemic weakness has been a significant obstacle in IJM's work to increase perpetrator accountability for slave owners. The one-year sentence for slavery issued in this case is a major victory as the tide of opposition to slavery grows in India.

Without the good will and action of government officials, IJM could not serve those who urgently need an advocate. In India, a recent intervention in a salt mine again illustrated the impact of government officials of integrity who serve the poor in their jurisdictions.

An IJM investigation in conjunction with local police has prompted the arrest of an American for his abuse of a minor in the Philippines. The 43-year-old man, a convicted sex offender in the U.S., is accused of sexually abusing a Filipina adolescent over a three-year period, beginning when the victim was 14.

Tomaida, the eldest of three siblings, had recently married and was living with her husband when her mother passed away. Following her mother’s death, Tomaida and her husband moved to her family’s home to live with and assist her father, who had grown very ill, and help care for her two younger siblings who lived with him. Sadly, two years later, her father died, leaving Tomaida and her young siblings orphans. Tomaida, 21 years old at the time, remained in the family home along with her husband, so they could care for her brother and sister, who were only eight and six years old at the time of their father’s death.