Moroccan Restaurant Owner Faces Human Trafficking Trial in Rouen

It all started with a complaint filed by one of the five employees - undocumented Moroccans - of the former manager of a bakery in Rouen and two restaurants located near Évreux. The events took place between 2014 and 2016. Cook at the restaurant Au Palais du Maroc in Claville in 2015, M. B. recounts his experience with his former boss who had recruited him with the promise of regularizing his situation and a salary.

"He had me installed on the kitchen floor with blankets, because there was no room, he recounts at the hearing. There were lots of mice, rats." He accuses the 62-year-old man of having restricted his freedom of movement. "If he’s there, you can’t move. We can’t even go out to eat an apple or a banana." And when he leaves "he releases his two big dogs". He does not pay him the retained salary upon hiring. His employer gives him a check for 275 euros at the end of the month instead of 1600 euros.

Mistreatment confirmed by other employees. The latter mention "differential treatment between regularly and irregularly employed employees, work days of more than 15 hours, unfit accommodation, rats and even a dead mouse found on the floor of a room, access to the shower once a week ’because water is expensive’, remuneration - when there is any - well below the workload," reports Actu.fr "I didn’t know rest [during this period]," says Nora. I worked from 3pm to 3am, then from 3am to 5am, I went out for deliveries. There was a room with two bunk beds and we were six people in 5 m², not even."

While the plaintiffs have marked their presence at the trial, the defendant was conspicuous by his absence. This annoyed the civil parties. The public prosecutor requested 4 years of actual imprisonment and an arrest warrant at the hearing. The verdict is expected on January 16, 2023.