Fantastic rescue shows for a woman who lived in a situation similar to slavery in the heart of Patos de Minas

The rescue of Madalena Gordiano took place on November 27.

Fantastic by Rede Globo showed, in this Sunday’s edition (20), the rescue of a woman who lived in a situation similar to a slave. According to the report, she lived with a family in the heart of Patos de Minas, being forced to work without salary and without the right to vacations, Christmas bonuses and no other benefits.

The story has now come to light, but the rescue of Madalena Gordiano was carried out on November 27 by auditors from the Ministry of Labor. They went to the apartment where she lived in the center of Patos de Minas and took in the woman who had been living in a situation similar to that of a slave for more than 30 years.

According to Fantástico’s report, Madalena was 8 years old when she knocked on the door of a house to ask for food. The resident then took the girl to live in his home. He spent 24 years living with teacher Maria das Graças Milagres Rigueira. As the teacher’s husband did not want her to stay at home, Madalena was sent to the home of Maria Graças’s son, also a teacher Dalton César Milagres Rigueira.

The tax auditors interviewed in the Fantástico report reported that, in the new house, Madalena lived in a tiny room, without a window and without ventilation, with working hours from Sunday to Sunday and without the right to salary. The report heard from a neighbor, who did not want to be identified, but confirmed that Madalena would wake up at 4:00 am to iron clothes.

The report also reveals that Madalena married a former combatant in 2001, the uncle of Dalton’s wife. The couple did not live together and died shortly after, leaving two pensions, which totaled almost R $ 8 thousand. Madalena did not receive that money. So much so that he even wrote notes asking neighbors for help in buying personal hygiene supplies.

The Fantástico article says that the family that kept Madalena in that situation is being investigated by the Public Ministry of Labor for subjecting a person to a situation similar to slavery and also for misappropriation. According to the report, Professor Dalton reported that he did not consider Madalena an employee but a member of the family. Regarding the room, he informed that it is Madalena who did not want to stay in a larger room.

The family’s lawyer told Patos Hoje that the slave labor charge does not apply to Madalena’s relationship with the family and said that revealing the case violates sensitive data and jeopardizes the family’s safety. He recalled that the case is under investigation. Regarding the embezzlement charge, the lawyer stated that the pension case had already been tried and that the family was acquitted in all cases. Magdalena was taken to a shelter.

See the full report here.