Europol sex trafficking probe lands Cypriot farmer in prison

An elderly farmer in Cyprus was sentenced to ten years behind bars in a sexual exploitation case, after a joint law enforcement operation with Europol led to the discovery of at least two victims in the island’s agricultural sector.

Local media said a 71-year-old Greek Cypriot man from a village in Famagusta district was sentenced to ten years in prison on Tuesday after he was found guilty for raping repeatedly an Indian female worker on his farm.

The employee was recognized as a victim of labor exploitation along with another female from Nepal, following a Europe-wide Joint Action Days operation against human trafficking for labor exploitation in the agriculture sector of various EU member states.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, the police anti-trafficking unit was involved in the case, where the two women filed an official complaint against their employer after being recognized as trafficking victims.

Specific charges were not immediately known in the case which took place behind closed doors, with local officials citing privacy concerns for the victims.

But local media said the farmer was convicted for repeatedly raping the Indian woman in his employ, while he was also found guilty on attempted rape and indecent assault charges concerning the Nepalese worker.

A Europol EMPACT operation was credited in the investigation, while Cyprus has been under interantional pressure to up its game in tackling trafficking and labor exploitation cases.

Cyprus Police said a dozen individuals were convicted in the last year in trafficking cases while 33 other cases are still pending trial.