A Southlake Texas couple was sentenced to a 14-year prison term for enslaving a young Guinean woman for over a decade.
Mouhamed Toure, 58, and Denise Cros-Toure, 58, will have to individually serve seven years in prison as well as, pay restitution of $288,000 to their victim, Djena Diallo.
She grew up in a rural village in Guinea. When Djena was just 5, the Toure’s flew her to their home in Southlake, Texas to become their maid.
The Dallas News reports post-prison, the two will be on supervised release and could also be deported to Guinea. The 7-year sentences had the possibility of being 20 years but were weighed out by the couple’s age and health conditions.
Mouhamed and Denise were arrested in 2018 for allegedly forcing Djena Diallo to work in their home without pay, while sustaining physical abuse and not being able to obtain an education.
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Opposing the accusations, Toure and Cros-Toure’s defense argued schooling was not an option due to her father not having any documentation. The defense added that the couple treated Diallo as if she was their own child, a contradiction to prosecutors who detail cruel living conditions. Diallo was said to have to sleep on the floor or a nearby park as punishment and was whipped with a boombox cord.
Diallo migrated to the United States 18 years ago and worked for Cros-Toure’s father as a maid for two years, who was the secretary of state for Guinea at the time. Toure’s father, Ahmed Sekou Toure also had political ties as the former Guinean President who served 26 years.
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Both Mouhamed and Denise stated that they believed Diallo wanted to remain in the United States so she would not have to return to Guinea and face being sold off into marriage by her father. She has been away from the home of the couple since 2016.
The Toure’s were found guilty by a federal jury in January.