Córdoba: Woman sentenced for slavery after illegally bringing a minor from Bolivia

A young woman was illegally brought into the country using her twin sister's documents to work in Córdoba. She experienced a situation of labor slavery and sexual abuse, under threats, without salary or real freedom. The federal justice system in Córdoba took a decade to convict one of those responsible for the crime.

They offered a job, but subjected her to slavery

The victim was 17 years old and was deceived by a man who promised employment selling clothing in Argentina. Her mother authorized the trip due to their precarious economic situation, unaware that the young woman would be exploited. Once in San Francisco, the minor was forced to work more than 18 hours a day without salary or rest.

In addition to tending the store, she had to clean, cook, and care for her exploiters' daughter. She lived with the couple and could not go out alone or communicate freely with her family. The situation worsened when the man began to sexually abuse her, even in front of his partner.

The Córdoba justice system first acquitted and then corrected

In 2022, Federal Court No. 2 had acquitted the woman charged with trafficking and exploitation. The Prosecutor's Office appealed and the Court of Cassation annulled the ruling, considering that the evidence had been poorly assessed. In 2025, a new court convicted Marleni Mamani Cussi to six and a half years of actual imprisonment.

It was proven that the minor was brought with a false identity, kept under control, and subjected to labor and sexual exploitation. The judge highlighted her situation of extreme vulnerability as a factor that facilitated the exploitation. The judge also ordered the convicted woman to pay $4.5 million as economic compensation to the victim.

She escaped thanks to a report from her coworker

The young woman managed to tell her ordeal to another employee at the store, who reported it to the police. That same night she was rescued from the apartment where she lived with her captors in inhuman conditions. The man reported as the abuser remains a fugitive, despite having an active arrest warrant.

The ruling recognized that the victim perceived herself as a "slave" and lacked personal autonomy. The Argentine State did not detect her situation or prevent her exploitation over five months. Ten years later, a belated conviction was handed down in a case of modern slavery in Córdoba.