A former judge at the United Nations’ criminal tribunal for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for keeping a woman as a modern-day slave in his Oxford home.
Amit Roy, 52, subjected the victim to “appalling” and “inhuman” treatment, including physical abuse, deprivation of food and freedom, and forcing her to work without pay. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was brought to the UK from another European country to work for Roy and his family while he was studying law at Oxford University.
Judge Jeremy Baker told Roy at Oxford Crown Court that his actions were “wholly unacceptable and amount to modern slavery.” Roy was found guilty of holding the woman in servitude and controlling her movements, forcing her to work long hours with little rest or food.
The court heard that Roy’s treatment of the victim was “appalling” and that he had “exercised control” over her, treating her as a “modern-day slave.” After his conviction, Roy was suspended from his position as a judge at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), where he had presided over war crimes cases.
Roy’s defense team had argued that the woman had been a domestic worker and not a slave, but the judge rejected this, stating that Roy’s actions had been “wholly unacceptable.” The victim’s bravery in coming forward has been praised, and Roy’s conviction serves as a significant step towards justice for victims of modern slavery [1][2].