Woman exploited for 13 years starts new chapter as traffickers jailed

A woman who was brutally exploited for 13 years has been supported by Justice and Care to build a new life for herself as her two traffickers are jailed for a combined total of 16 years in the UK.

Anna* endured nightmarish conditions for much of her life, including being kidnapped, forced into prostitution and subjected to violence, control and coercion, before escaping exploitation in 2020.

She was supported by a Navigator to give evidence to police – and was over the moon this week to hear that her Romanian exploiters would be jailed for modern slavery, exploitation and kidnap offences. Mihai Jean-Marinel has been jailed for 10 years while Florentina Urmez has been sentenced to six years.

In a statement read out in court on her behalf, Anna bravely shared the impact of the exploitation, saying: ‘I’m still scared, I cry in my sleep, constantly looking back, people look at me because I’m acting strangely. I struggle to interact with anyone, especially men, all Romanians made me suspicious. But I think now I have the courage to fight for my life to the end.’

While Anna is still struggling with the trauma that her experiences have left her with, she has been able to start a fresh chapter in her life. Thanks to her incredible resilience and the wraparound care she has received, she has resumed her studies and secured employment, and now volunteers helping other modern slavery survivors on their journeys.

Greater Manchester Police first became aware of the case after receiving reports that a Romanian sex worker was missing after being violently assaulted and forced into a car.

After discovering that the extremely vulnerable victim was being held at a property in Birmingham against her will, officers safeguarded her, with the support of a Justice and Care Navigator. The investigations that followed revealed the harrowing scale of the exploitation that Anna had faced. 

Anna fled her family home at age 17 after suffering physical abuse, and became a sex worker in Holland in order to survive.

After being arrested and sent back to Romania, she met Urmez’s mother who offered her a place to stay – but went on to treat her as a slave. The family forced Anna back into sex work and stole her earnings, beat her regularly and made her do all of the household chores.

During this time, Anna was also forced to commit crimes which involved luring people to locations where the family would steal their wallets.

In 2018, Jean-Marinel, the boyfriend of Urmez, took control of Anna and brought her to the UK. In Manchester, he continued to force her into sex work, in which she was forced to meet up to 10 men a day. A court heard that Jean-Marinel pocketed at least £100,000 while controlling Anna over a 15-month period, and would scream and beat her if she tried to keep any of her money.

Anna was too scared to seek medical attention due to fear of more violence, but concerns were raised about her by local charity workers who noticed how thin, timid and anxious she seemed. Her general health was poor and her dental care required urgent attention.

But as the charity began to support Anna, Jean-Marinel’s former girlfriend Urmuz planned to regain control of her. The violent kidnap she planned in 2020 led to police investigating the case and Anna walking free.

This week, Jean-Marinel was jailed for ten years for modern slavery and exploitation offences and Urmez was sentenced to six years in prison for kidnap and exploitation offences.

Ion Raducan, who helped kidnap Anna, was convicted in 2021 for his role in the conspiracy and was deported after serving jail time. He has since been jailed again after attempting to re-enter the UK under a false name.

Debi Lloyd, Head of UK Counter Trafficking Operations at Justice and Care, said: ‘This case demonstrates both how widespread the issue of modern slavery is in our communities, but also the need for brilliant policing and survivor care to bring those responsible to justice.

‘We stand in awe and alongside Anna, whose courage and evidence has led to this successful prosecution.

‘We are proud to have worked alongside Greater Manchester Police on this case and will continue to provide support to all men, women, and children who are trapped in modern slavery, supporting them to walk free and rebuild their lives.’

Detective Inspector Tony Platten the Senior Investigating Officer of this case said: ‘I would like to commend the survivor for her incredible strength throughout this entire process, and for trusting us and our partners to get justice.

‘She endured years of abuse and coercion by this group, forced to live in unimaginable conditions for so much of her life. They took extraordinary measures to conceal their illicit operation, but I am glad today to see that they will now face a considerable time behind bars, before they will be deported by our immigration colleagues.

‘It is only through support of partners like MASH and Justice and Care that the survivor has had the opportunity to be supported and rebuild her life, which had been taken from her for so many years.

‘In cases like this, we have seen victims threatened and suffering extreme violence as the criminals exert control. This is why tackling modern slavery is a high priority for Greater Manchester Police and dedicated partners who are embedded into our teams to ensure victims receive the very best care and support available and are safeguarded throughout.

‘Modern slavery is happening right here in Manchester. We need the public and professionals to be aware of the signs to look out for and report any concerns.’

*name changed to protect identity