Estonian court convicts three brothers of human trafficking over forced labor
Estonia's Pärnu County Court has found three brothers guilty of human trafficking for keeping two vulnerable people in unpaid forced labor for over four years. The case against their father is continuing separately.
Estonia's Pärnu County Court, a first-tier court, has convicted three brothers, Kaido, Kert and Kevin Kaares, of human trafficking. Together with their father, they were accused of holding two vulnerable people in coerced labor and living conditions for more than four years. The verdict followed a plea bargain in which the brothers admitted guilt.
Sentence
Each brother received a five-year prison term, suspended for a five-year probationary period that began on the day the judgment was announced. They must obey supervision requirements and the obligations imposed on them, and must not commit another crime.
The court also ordered the company Kuivainetekeskus OÜ to pay the Estonian state €100,000 in lieu of confiscation, in installments. If a payment is missed, enforcement will proceed against property secured by a judicial mortgage.
The court approved settlements in the civil claims as well. One victim will receive €42,000 from all four defendants jointly, and another €35,000 from Kaido and Kert. The money has been deposited in the Prosecutor's Office's account and will go to the victims once the judgment takes effect. Each brother must also pay €4,237.95 in legal costs to the state.
What the charges said
According to the charges, the victims mainly prepared timber for sale but received no wages and had no real say over their working and living conditions, nor any independent way out. The defendants were said to have exploited the victims' dependent and vulnerable positions, restricting their access to documents, money and contact with relatives. Kevin Kaares was also charged with using one victim's bank card and PIN codes without authorization to withdraw €20,630 in cash.
The father's case
The case against the father, Peeter Kaares, was split off because health problems had long prevented him from attending hearings. The court ordered a forensic medical examination and an outpatient forensic psychiatric examination. Prosecutors say he played the central role, while his sons' involvement was more limited.
The judgment has not yet entered into force. A written appeal may be filed with the second-tier Tallinn Circuit Court within 15 days of the judgment being publicly announced.
