Ukrainian Woman Testifies She Was Victim Of Human Trafficking Ring
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A Ukrainian woman has testified she was threatened, beaten and raped by a man who helped smuggle her into the United States with the promise of a better life here. The defendant and his brother are on trial, charged with running a human trafficking operation.
The woman has testified she initially believed she'd be brought here legally, but instead she and others sneaked across the Mexican border and were transported to Philadelphia. And immediately, she says, speaking through an interpreter, defendant Omelyan Botsvynyuk started abusing her.
"He began to walk, pace around me and he began to touch certain things saying, 'its ok, I kind of like it' and he was treating me as a thing, not a person."
Later that day, she says, he raped her, "I was screaming. He would shut my mouth with a pillow. He was hitting me."
Prosecutor: "Did he attack you sexually?"
Witness: "Yes."
Prosecutor: "Did Mr. Omelyan Botsvynyuk rape you?"
Witness: "Yes."
The defense has challenged her credibility, emphasizing she never told anyone about the rape a decade ago -- not her sister or then boyfriend, now husband -- until just recently. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Reported by Tony Hanson, KYW Newsradio 1060
