The victim endured brutal conditions and extreme deprivation. (Representative Image)
A man has been awarded 352,000 pounds (Rs 3.75 crore approx), as compensation for being held captive and enslaved by a wealthy family, the Rooneys, for over two decades, according to The Metro. The victim, known only as 'Victim A', was subjected to unimaginable cruelty, forced to live in squalid caravans on the family's traveller site in Lincolnshire.
The Rooney family is alleged to have been running a regime of terror for over twenty years, exploiting vulnerable homeless men. Some were brutally pounded while being made to work for little or no wages, accommodated in pathetic conditions where their basic requirements remained neglected. Some were even told that they would be killed if they refused to comply with their demands.
According to theNews Outlet,Photographs of the caravans show a shocking image of privation with dirty beds, no food, and unsanitary conditions. Moreover, the captors also frequently fed the victims with scraps and treated them in contempt.
Fifteen other men who shared that fate ended up dying before justice could be served. During this, the Rooney family had amassed a fortune of more than 1.5 million pounds while their victims were enduring unimaginable suffering.
In 2017, eleven members of this family were imprisoned for combined 79 years for their crimes. Their heinous acts still lead to devastating consequences in the lives of those victims.
The 352,000 pounds compensation to be paid to Victim A will go some way toward underpinning his financial security, enabling him to receive the necessary care. This, however, cannot in any way be held to remove the years of torment they all suffered at the hands of their captors.