The Washington Post reported a jury in Alexandria, Virginia, agreed that Linda Howard and late Australian husband Russell Howard forced an Ethiopian maid into sexual slavery in 2008. Linda Howard, who left the State Department in 2013, was ordered to pay $US3 million ($3.75 million) in damages to the woman, who lives in Virginia. Howard denied the allegations and argued the woman couldn’t sue for civil damages under a human trafficking law that didn’t pass until 2008. Five years ago the couple was found liable in the same court for trafficking another Ethiopian housekeeper in 2008. They were ordered to pay her $3.3 million ($4.1 million).

Source: Ethiopian News August 01, 2017 16:40 UTC