HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA
Address: PO Box 6309, Kingston ACT 2604 Telephone: (02) 6270 6998 Fax: (02) 6270 6909
Email: fhamilton@hcourt.gov.au
28 August 2008
THE QUEEN v WEI TANG
The High Court of Australia today upheld the slavery convictions of a Melbourne brothel owner and overturned the orders of the Victorian Court of Appeal for a new trial. Ms Tang was convicted in 2006 of five counts of intentionally possessing a slave and five counts of intentionally exercising a power of ownership over a slave, contrary to section 270.3(1)(a) of the Commonwealth Criminal Code. She was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of six years. Ms Tang was the first person convicted under the anti-slavery laws, introduced in 1999. The charges related to five women, all Thai nationals.
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