A Bad Story With A Good Ending
Posted by Michelle Moquin on June 14th, 2010
Good Morning.
I write a lot about the atrocities that happen around the world. Many are about women. What I rarely write about is one with a good ending. Not because I want to focus on the plight of women, but because there is rarely a bad story with a good ending to write about. Here’s one that I found, thanks to the twittering of Ashton Kutcher:
A ROMANIAN man, who raped a teenager and forced her to work as a prostitute, after luring her into the UK with the promise of a better life, was found guilty on Friday 11 June at Southwark Crown Court of a string of offences. 28 year-old Cezar Livius Murariu was found guilty of one count of rape and two counts of controlling prostitution for gain. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and placed on the sex offenders register for life.
During the trial, the court heard how 18-year-old “Natalya” was lured from her hometown in Northern Romania to the UK by Murariu, who claimed she could work legitimately and start a new life in London.
Natalya met Murariu in the summer of 2009 in Northern Romania. She socialised with him and they became friends, so he could gain her trust. In June 2009 Murariu invited her to the UK. He bought the bus ticket as a “gift” for her, and they travelled together from Romania to London.
Upon arrival he took her to a house in Hendon Way, north west London.
Just three days into the trip she was raped, by the man she had trusted. She was taken to a separate property in the same street, where Murariu grabbed her by the throat and raped her. She screamed as loudly as she could but was told to keep quiet or risk further violence. She was forced to have unprotected sex with Murariu. Natalya was still a virgin at the time of the assault.
Murariu forced her into prostitution, selling her body for sex to repay the debt for transporting her to the UK. She was threatened by Murariu; he insisted that if she did not perform sexual acts for money, he would lie to her family, claiming she was uncontrollable, working as a prostitute out of choice.
Her sexual services were offered to paying clients at £40 a time. She was not allowed to talk to clients, and would have to sleep with up to five men in any one day.
At 10:30hrs on 31 July 2009 officers from the Metropolitan Police Service’s former Human Trafficking Team and Operation Golf – a joint investigation team with Romanian police – mounted a fast incident response to rescue the young woman.
The police rescued Natalya within 48 hours of being contacted by the family, who had raised the alarm that she was in trouble.
Natalya had managed to send text messages to her family, which they passed on to the Romanian officer on Operation Golf, to get help. The officer acted quickly, co-ordinating with colleagues in London.
Working with the family, officers instructed her to send over a number plate of a vehicle in the vicinity of where she was being held. This then helped pinpoint the location, so they could rescue her.
Two days later, Natalya was rescued from the local park, where she was made to exercise to keep in shape for their clients. Officers surrounded the park to secure the area, then rescued Natalya and took her to a safe location.
Officers said that she was visibly afraid when rescued from the scene and grateful that she had finally been saved. Natalya had a number of missed calls on her phone from Murariu, who had been frantically searching for her.
Murariu was later arrested by officers from the team, in the vicinity of the residence, actively searching for Natalya.
DS Roddy Llewellyn from Operation Golf, said: “This vulnerable young European woman has been lured over to the UK, under the false promise of legitimate work and financial gain. She found herself being sold for sex. We work tirelessly both home and abroad to catch these criminals, to stop the exploitation of these young women.”
Judge HHJ Price told Murariu: “An aggravating feature of this case was the abuse of trust the victim. You are a highly controlling individual who represents a threat to this country.”
Readers: FYI: No, I am not a big fan of Kutcher. Although I do like that he dedicates a list on his blog strictly for ending slavery, where you can find twitters from different websites pertaining to ending slavery, that he is following. At least this is how I understand it. That in itself is a reason for me to follow him on twitter.
My feelings are this: There are ‘decent’ men out there; this we know. They are in support of women. They don’t like the fact that women are treated as second class citizens or that women are truly slaves in some countries. They would never abuse a woman or ever even think of striking a woman.
But what are these good, so-called ‘decent’ men doing to prevent the atrocities from happening, the exploitation of young girls and women, and what are they doing to help end it? Are they doing something ‘decent’ in the form of taking some sort of action? Doing something ‘decent’ is taking the most honorable or appropriate course of action, even if is not necessarily in one’s own interests.
Kutcher has over 5 million followers on twitter. Unfortunately only a little over one thousand are following his ‘end slavery’ list. That is itself is very telling.
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Happy Monday everyone – Do me a favor and do something ‘decent’ for someone today. Thank you.
Peace & Love: “Live it, Give it!”
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
xoxo michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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June 14th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
I think AK is that new breed of quite liberated young men with values that are all inclusive and he’s got one hell of a body : ) yikes…! I’m a fan.
But, about the story, this is one out of how many so there’s lots of it still going on. I think AK’s Twitter feature is about awareness and the numbers speak to the truth of how many want to be aware. Might be helpful if slavery wasn’t a ‘sidebar’ issue on his site? Or any site…
Have to roll now, caio, Zen Lill
June 15th, 2010 at 5:55 am
I don’t understand why Zen Lill can get in when it appears that most others can’t. Is it because you (Michelle) want it to appear that she is a Girlz with special powers?
I have been trying every day sometimes several times a day to get in.
Linda
June 15th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Michelle
I went to Danielle’s “Whitehot truth’s site. wow!
June 15th, 2010 at 6:14 am
I’m with you Linda. The trick is to wait until Zen Lill opens and then to post immediately afterwards.
I’m in Maine and it’s a bitch having a three hour lead on Michelle and then having to check on when Zen Lill post. My co-workers help out by trying and letting me know if they get in.
I added LaPorte’s site to my list of daily visits. Love her “11 tips for dealing with criticism.”
I glad you have the time and inclination to find things like that to recommend to your blog world Michelle.
Trish
June 15th, 2010 at 6:28 am
Michelle
Women who support women are the ones who will start the world on the right path. My mother is such a woman. She has inspired my two sisters(one 2 years older and the other 2 years younger than I).
They put themselves through school when our father cut them off because they chose partners from another race.
There success in politics has made him so proud that it is now he who brags about his two “great” daughters. I wish mother could have lived to see what she wrought.
They are both avid readers of you blog Michelle. I know because they often send me clips from it.
Big and little brother says, hi sis. Obama is lucky to have you.
Love
Carl
June 15th, 2010 at 6:29 am
Sorry about the grammar. I was in such a hurry to post.
June 15th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Michelle
I tried to comment on your article about women being raped in the Military a few days back, but I couldn’t get in.
My cousin was raped in the military. She was a Captain. She was dissuaded from reporting it.
The resulting trauma forced her to leave what she loved the most in this world, being a soldier. I believe that those who are anti abortion are so because the rich force their morals on others.
They do it by using religion to confuse the ignorant. But they themselves know that they will never be subject to the restrictive laws they get passed because they have the money to go elsewhere for their needs.
Mary
June 15th, 2010 at 6:53 am
Nice to see that you are open for business again Michelle.
I check in daily to get my charge from your readers’ comments. This past week has me going through withdrawal pangs.
You have kept me going with your great articles. I keep checking in to hear what your blog has to say. Most times they ignore the articles and drive me crazy with comments about things I know very little about.
It is like reading a “real life” unfiltered script.
Whatever happened to Howie and Al? Al was so funny at times.
I work with orphaned girls. It is a real challenge to get them before they are forced into prostitution. They are kept uneducated and often abandoned by their parents so that they can try again for a male child.
Women have to be motivated to value their sex and to fight the psychological degradation men force upon them.
You, Danielle, Zen Lill and Ruth are a start.
Thanks
Abbie
June 15th, 2010 at 6:54 am
Please stop the emails. I have not stopped contributing to this blog. I can’t get in.
Hafa adai
Anna
June 15th, 2010 at 7:03 am
Thanks Michelle for the tip. I suggested to my boss that we summit to the board a recommendation that we switch to the BioBag.
Zen Lill, I’m a mother of a 12 year old. How do you find the time for all the things you do? I must thank you for the lessons. I have lost 23 lbs using your exercise tips and menus.
This is the longest I have lost lbs and continued to keep it off. You are a sweetheart.
Minnie
June 15th, 2010 at 7:07 am
I’m from Huston. We were not one of the 12 states that had elections last Tuesday. I tried to get in to comment but like others, I couldn’t get in.
There is a rumor gong on here that we should save drinkable water because the oil spill is polluting our portable water source. Any truth to the rumor?
Helen
June 15th, 2010 at 7:09 am
Michelle
I see that your boy. Obama is fucking up the oil spill. He finally has his Katrina. What have you got to say for him now?
June 15th, 2010 at 7:12 am
I hear that California will be going the way of Arizona with the election of a republican governor. What does that say about woman power, Michelle.
I guess it is okay if women dis Latios.
Vina
June 15th, 2010 at 7:19 am
Michelle
I am in a Quality Inn hotel bathroom reading your blog. My father has had it blocked at home because he says you are a crazy man hating bitch. When I turn 18 in three months, I am out of here, his environment, not the bathroom -).
I enter UOV in September with a full scholarship so I won’t have to listen to his orders any more. I am looking forward to being on my own. You have encouraged me to feel a woman can do anything.
Irene
June 15th, 2010 at 7:23 am
Michelle
My brother shot my boyfriend because he turned me on to meth. He forced me to help him cut him up and feed him to our pigs. Our father slaughters the pigs for our dinner and for sale to our neighbors.
Will I be haunted by the spirit of Lopez if I eat a pig that has eaten parts of his body?
June 15th, 2010 at 7:32 am
Michelle
What makes you think that women can do better than men with the world’s resources?
I miss George. The real George, the man’s man who you forced off this blog. It appears you have done the same thing to Sonny.
Or are you screening us out? Lately, all the men who get in are wimps who support this women are powerful shit.
Women are for babies. Past that they are being blasphemous.
Get a Bible woman and get saved.
Chris
June 15th, 2010 at 7:35 am
Get off President Obama, a**hole. You are just a bigot.
June 15th, 2010 at 9:46 am
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