Savita Persaud, the owner of the Liquid Love Bar located on Station Street, Kitty, who was tried for several offences including trafficking two Venezuelan women for sex, was yesterday sentenced to a total of 10 years for the crime and ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
Persaud, who had been arraigned before the city court on five charges, was found guilty of all but had only been sentenced to three during her last court appearance on May 24, before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
The outstanding charges for which she had been found guilty, alleged that between January 31 and March 8, 2019, at Station Street, Kitty, she recruited, transported and harboured the two women for sexual exploitation.
During yesterday’s court hearing, which was held during an in-camera session, Persaud heard that she would have to pay $2,223,914 to one of the victims and $2,399,940 to the other, in restitution. This order comes as a result of Section 6 (1) – 6 (2) of Chapter 10:06 of the Trafficking in Persons Act, which states: 6. (1) Where a defendant is convicted of trafficking in persons under this Act, the court shall order the defendant to pay restitution to the victim. (2) Restitution shall compensate the victim for— (a) medical and psychological treatment; (b) costs of physical and occupational therapy and rehabilitation; (c) costs of necessary transportation, temporary housing, and child care; (d) lost income; (e) attorney’s fees and other cost such as victim advocate fees; (f) compensation for emotional distress, pain and suffering; and (g) any other losses suffered by the victim.
Section 8 (1) (c) of the very Act also states that: 8. (1) As factually appropriate, the following adjustments to the sentence of a person convicted on indictment of the crime of trafficking in persons may apply—(c) if the trafficked person had not attained the age of eighteen years, five years may be added to the sentence. This portion of the law would have resulted in the accused being sentenced to a total of 10 years for the trafficking of the underage girl and five years for the older victim.
The sentences are expected to run concurrently, which would see Persaud only serving 10 years.
The other charges on which Persaud had been found guilty included two counts of confiscating the Venezuelans’ immigration documents for the purpose of trafficking and employing a child on a premises that sells intoxicating liquor. The child is 17-years-old.
She had been sentenced to 12 months behind bars and fined $500,000 each, in relation to the charges of withholding immigration documents for the purpose of trafficking. The sentences will run concurrently. Persaud was also fined $100,000 or a default sentence of five months in jail, in relation to the conviction of employment of a child on a premises that sells alcohol.
