Slave labor: Man is rescued in RJ, says police – 03/29/2023 – Market

The environmental guard of Nova Iguaçu, in Baixada Fluminense, claims to have found a 51-year-old man in a situation analogous to slavery in a pig farm this Monday (27).

He stated that he cared for the animals in exchange for housing, without receiving remuneration. He lived in an unhealthy environment for almost two years, being forced to eat the same wash he fed to pigs, according to his report.

The case happened in Carlos Sampaio. According to the Civil Police, the owner of the land was arrested in flagrante delicto on suspicion of the crime of reducing him to a condition analogous to that of a slave. The corporation did not disclose the name of the suspect, nor whether a defense was constituted. The case is investigated by the 58th DP (Possession).

The man was located by the environmental guard after an anonymous tip. The guards found him sleeping on an old mattress that was placed on three plastic crates, in a kind of makeshift bed, according to the police.

To the agents, he said that he was a mason, but he had a health problem and was out of work, and that’s why he became a homeless person. He has hypertension, sinusitis and a wound on his leg that he has not been able to heal, he told police. Therefore, he would have accepted to take care of the pigs in exchange for shelter.

The man said he did not know that he was being exploited and that the owner of the property had not promised him anything.

According to his account, he lived in precarious hygienic conditions, without a bathroom or adequate space to sleep. The man also claimed that he did not have access to clean water and needed to feed on the same wash served to pigs.

The land was banned after a series of irregularities was found. Among the infractions observed, according to the police, are: soil pollution, river contamination and mistreatment of animals. There are also indications of illegal slaughter of animals in the area.

Nova Iguaçu city hall reported that the rescued man is in a shelter. A welfare team tries to locate his family. Born in Minas Gerais, the man said he had relatives in Rio.