Samoan chief who enslaved villagers sentenced to 11 years in New Zealand

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/27/samoan-chief-slavery-trafficking-sentenced-11-years-new-zealand

Guardian Staff
Published on Sun 26 Jul 2020 22.53 EDT

A New Zealand-based Samoan chief has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for human trafficking and using 13 of his countrymen as slaves over a 25-year period.

Joseph Auga Matamata, 65, also known as Villiamu Samu, was found guilty on 10 counts of trafficking and 13 counts of slavery following a five-week trial at the high court in Napier in March.

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The offending occurred between 1994 and April last year involving 13 Samoans from three villages on the island of Upolu. The youngest was just 12.

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He promised paid horticultural work or schooling in New Zealand and paid for their flights, visas and passports. But upon arrival they worked long hours, often seven days a week, for no pay while “bags of cash” were handed over to Matamata, Crown prosecutor Clayton Walker said.

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All 13 victims, who gave evidence through translators in court, said they worked without pay and had to do chores around Matamata’s house where they lived behind a tall perimeter fence and a locked gate. They were not allowed to leave, or speak to anyone at work or church, or even their families in Samoa, without his permission.

They were also subjected to regular verbal and physical abuse if they worked too slowly or did not perform their chores to his standards, claims which Matamata denied.

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All Matamata’s victims said they were too scared to complain about their treatment, given Matamata’s matai or chiefly status, which commanded absolute obedience.

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