Ioana Nedelcu successfully defends in first ever modern slavery fraud case
Ioana Nedelcu secured Not Guilty verdicts in a conspiracy to defraud Boots & Tesco and transfering the proceeds of crime.
Ioana's client was a young woman in her 20s who claimed that she has been the subject of 10 years of exploitation and did not participate in the commission of the fraud voluntarily. The modern slavery defence under s.45 Modern Slavery Act 2015 was raised. As part of the defence case, Ioana argued that her client was exploited as a child and then further exploited as an adult when forced to commit crime through violence and in particular, that she had no realistic alternative because she has been failed by the police and social services on numerous occassions. Ioana adduced third party evidence provided by social services to show numerous reports of violence against her client over the years, since 2013.
The case involved extensive telephone and banking evidence, as well as live evidence from a number of young victims of exploitation. It is believed that this is the first ever modern slavery fraud case. For more information click here.
Ioana was instructed by Adam Law solicitors.
