Izabela Dytlow (pictured) has been jailed for nine years after being convicted of trafficking and holding a person in servitude
(Picture: Met handout )A family of four have been jailed for forcing a Polish maid into servitude and enslaving her for more than five years.
Izabela Dytlow, 47, from Enfield, has been sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment after being convicted of one count of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation, three counts of holding a person in servitude and four counts of fraud by false representation.
Andrzej Kasparowicz, 63, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment after being convicted of three counts of holding person in servitude, two counts of fraud by false representation and one count of money laundering.
The pair were sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Friday after they were found guilty on December 2 following a seven-week trial.
The court heard how the victim, a woman aged in her 40s, came from a poor family in Poland and was approached with a promise of work in England.
She was later brought over by minibus in October 2014 on the understanding she would work as a paid carer for Izaebela Dytlow.
The victim worked for the family at addresses on the outskirts of Birmingham and Enfield for more than five years, in conditions which amounted to modern servitude.
These included being made to work for seven days a week without pay. The promised wages never materialised and in the end she stopped asking for them.
She was forced to sleep in unsanitary conditions under a garden shed or under a blanket on the floor.
She was kept isolated and was prohibited from using her phone or contacting her family.
Her Polish identification card was taken away from her possession. Her identity was also misused by the family for financial gain.
In September 2019, local officers attended the Tottenhall Road address following reports from neighbours that the victim was living in horrific conditions.
They reported seeing her out on the streets most days cleaning the family cars even if it was raining.
Izabela Dytlow was present and told the officers that the victim did not live at the address. She claimed the victim, who did not speak English, was a visiting ‘Auntie’.
The victim later denied being forced to work or being held against her will.
Detectives from the Met’s Modern Slavery Unit took over the investigation and attended the address on May, 7 2020.
Together with a Polish speaking officer they spoke with the victim.
She initially denied there was anything wrong but after a long exchange she admitted she was not earning any money.
Eventually, officers persuaded the victim to leave the address for a period of reflection.
In the police car she told the officers: “It’s like a dream, I cannot believe I am now free.”
When the officers brought her a coffee she was visibly overwhelmed as no-one had brought her a coffee before.
It was later established that Izabela took the victim to get a National Insurance number upon arrival to the country. She had signed documents but had no understanding of what they were. She was told it was for her own wellbeing.
Szanel Dytlow, 19, was sentenced to 16 months in custody, suspended for 24 months, and 180 hours unpaid work after being convicted of one count of holding a person in servitude.
Kamil Wesolowski, 22, was sentenced to 12 months in custody, suspended for 24 months, 120 hours unpaid work and 15 days rehabilitation activity after being convicted of one count of holding a person in servitude.
All four defendants were arrested on May 14 2020 at the Tottenhall Road address. They appeared at Highbury Magistrates’ Court on 15 May 2021 and were later bailed to appear at Wood Green Crown Court on 18 October 2021 for trial.
Patricia Strobino, Senior Crown Prosecutor within the CPS London Complex Casework unit, said: “The prosecution case included testimony from many of the neighbours who witnessed the victim being mistreated and raised the alarm, as well as the victim herself who gave a harrowing account of her experiences with the family; of how she had travelled from Poland to the UK in search of a better life only to be trapped into a life of misery.
"The convictions in this case are a testament to the victim’s courage and those neighbours who did not allow the unacceptable treatment of another go unchecked. This victim now has the opportunity to begin to realise her dreams for a life in the UK. The CPS will always work closely with our law enforcement partners to make sure those who exploit vulnerable victims are taken to court and brought to justice.”
