National Police officers in Alicante have arrested two men, aged 21 and 31, after they allegedly subjected two employees to degrading treatment, physical assaults and severe workplace exploitation.
The investigation was launched following a complaint filed by a female worker who had been subjected to labour exploitation for an entire year. The suspects, who owned two local bazaars, allegedly took advantage of her vulnerable circumstances as an undocumented resident in Spain. The Regional Police Headquarters confirmed that one of the owners had also physically assaulted the woman.
According to the victim, she originally agreed to work eight hours a day, seven days a week, for a daily wage of 40 euro. However, her employers gradually forced her to work 11 to 12 hours daily without a single day off over the course of a year. The two men subjected her to constant verbal abuse, insults and continuous surveillance via security cameras, even monitoring her conversations with co-workers. She was eventually granted half a day off on Tuesdays after asking for leave, but the harsh conditions and long hours persisted.
During an argument, one of the owners struck the victim in the chin with his elbow, requiring her to seek treatment at a hospital. The woman initially refrained from contacting authorities due to her precarious situation and repeated threats from her bosses, who claimed they would have her deported if she reported them.
She finally approached the National Police after learning that a co-worker had been assaulted on the arm by one of the men. When she confronted the employer about the incident, he spat in her face.
Officers from the Unit Against Immigration Networks and Document Fraud (UCRIF) investigated the claims and confirmed that the complainant had never been officially registered as an employee during her year of work. Investigators also discovered that one of the suspects had a previous arrest for an alleged sexual assault against another employee and was currently out on bail with precautionary measures.
Police located and arrested both men on suspicion of committing offences against workers’ rights, with one also charged with assault. Upon leaving her job, the victim was still owed a total of 1,750 euro, which included unpaid wages of 500 euro from April, 800 euro from May, and 450 euro she had paid out of pocket to cover merchandise from a supplier.
Following the completion of police proceedings, both detainees were handed over to the duty Court of Instruction in Alicante.
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