Brisbane couple accused of human trafficking set to learn fate

A jury is expected to be sent out to deliberate the fate of a Brisbane couple alleged to have "imported" a Fijian woman into the country and forced her to work.

Malavine Pulini (left) and Isikeli Feleatoua Pulini (right) are seen leaving the Brisbane District Court, in Brisbane, Thursday, April 11, 2019.

Malavine Pulini (left) and Isikeli Feleatoua Pulini (right) are seen leaving the Brisbane District Court, in Brisbane, Thursday, April 11, 2019. Source: AAP

A jury is expected to be sent out to deliberate the fate of a couple alleged to have "imported" a Fijian woman into the country and forced her to work for them over an eight-year period on Friday.

The accused couple, Isikeli Feleatoua Pulini and Malavine Pulini, are on trial for human trafficking and forced labour offences in relation to allegedly bringing the woman to work in their Brisbane home for about $250 per fortnight from 2008 to 2016.

The couple pleaded not guilty to the trafficking and forced labour charges when the trial began in the Brisbane District Court on Monday but guilty to harbouring an unlawful non-citizen.
Prosecutors allege the woman lived hidden from plain sight, with neighbours oblivious of her alleged forced labour in suburban Brisbane.

It is alleged she worked on call and around the clock for eight years before leaving the home in 2016. The couple were charged in 2017.

During the hearing, the court was told the woman had a mobile phone, Facebook, access to a bank account and was able to visit friends.


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Published 12 April 2019 8:52am
Updated 12 April 2019 9:31am

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