2 Fla. Women Convicted of Keeping Haitian Teen as a Slave
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335008,00.html
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A mother and daughter were found guilty Tuesday of keeping a Haitian teen as their slave for six years in their South Florida home.
Evelyn Theodore and her daughter, Maude Paulin, were convicted of conspiring to violate Simone Celestin’s Thirteenth Amendment rights to be free from slavery and forcing her to work for them.
Paulin was also convicted of harboring an illegal alien for financial gain.
Paulin’s ex-husband and her mother, Theodore, were found not guilty of harboring an illegal alien for financial gain, but were convicted on a lesser charge of harboring an illegal alien.
Claire Telasco, Paulin’s sister, was acquitted of conspiracy and forced labor charges.
The jury of six men and six women deliberated for a little more than five hours before returning a verdict Tuesday afternoon.
Paulin’s biological daughter ran from the courtroom crying as the verdicts were read. Other relatives gasped in relief when Telasco’s not guilty verdicts were read.
Celestin was not present for the verdict, though she testified last week.
Celestin, now 22, testified Wednesday that she considered suicide after years of beatings and intimidation. She tearfully described sleeping on the floor, rummaging through cast-off clothes in the garage for something to wear, bathing from a bucket or a garden hose and scrubbing floors when she should have been in school.
She said Theodore and Maude Paulin often struck her with their hands, shoes or objects such as a curling iron or a mortar if she didn’t finish the work to their satisfaction.
Defense attorneys argued during trial the Celestin’s allegations of abuse were motivated by her desire to be a permanent legal resident of the U.S.
The jury was also asked to consider whether Paulin should forfeit her home and other property used to keep Celestin working and out of school.
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March 21st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Based on fact:
• One of the family members who faced the same charges as the others has been found not guilty! What does that say about the overall process?
• One can say if this family member can be found not guilty on all counts, technically she has been wrongly accused for a crime that she did not commit! The same can also be true for the others.
• A certified letter from Simone’s uncle her closest family member, residing in Haiti, stated that he voluntarily registered Simone to the orphanage because her mother was mentally ill and, for financial reasons, he was unable to provide for her.
•The Family friend who was able to get the US visa for Simone, have kept her passport and the family never have the chance to see the passport nor aware of what kind the visa was that issue to Simone.
• The emergency room where she went after she left the Paulins’ house reported that there were NO sign of abuse. There were no bruises, nor marks on her body. Since she complained that she was not feeling well, they gave her a Motrin and she went to her journey.
• An HRS agent who came over the Paulins’ house reported there were NO sign of ABUSE and advised the family not to send her back to Haiti because if was unsafe to do so due the political turmoil.(It’s all on paper)
• The court brought in an officer from Dade County school system. The Defense has asked the agent “based on the paper in front of you, did the family try to register Simone but the system have turned them down?” The agent replied YES. Then who has failed Simone the Paulin or the system?
• Several witnesses have come forward. Several teenagers have testified that they have known Simone. They used to play, eat, watch TV and go to the Mall together. Not once, have they seen the family mistreat her, they said in Court.
• Pastor of the church has explained that Simone has participated in several of their youth program. She was a happy teenager and when she wanted to attend the youth program at night, she would call them for a ride and they would have one of the parents pick her up.
• A garment she has purchased at the mall was shown to her during trial. She admitted that she purchased it at the mall when she went to the mall with one of the teenager of the family. So she did go to the mall.
• Many teenagers came forward and explained to the Court how they used to go to the movies together. One of them precisely said that they have seen “Batman” together
• Even Momperous the prosecutor’s witness who use to live with the family stated that Simone has never been sequestrated at home nor refrained from going out.
• Simone deposition she stated she was able to go to south beach, and had boyfriends.
• Slavery and Harboring for profit – can you please define these charges? Does this sound like this teenager was abused or did the family have her working for others and kept the money? There was not one witness who came forward saying that they used to pay the Paulins for service rendered by Simone.