NEW YORK — A woman in Queens was arraigned on charges she forced two children to work as slaves inside her home for six years.
According to CBS New York, the two Korean children were 9- and 11-years-old when they were sent to stay with Sook Yeong Park.
Park took away their passports and then moved to a different home.
That’s when the alleged abuse began.
The older sibling was forced to clean the inside of the home for nearly 10 hours after having come home from school.
KFOR reported she also gave Park lengthy massages, manicures and pedicures while she sat and watched TV.
During one manicure, Park reportedly became so mad she cut the little girl with one of the trimmers.
Then when she was old enough, Park sent her to work for a local grocery store.
Park would pocket the girl’s earnings saying the child’s mother wasn’t sending over money to help support her and her little brother.
Last August, the younger sibling was also forced to start working outside the home, and turned over his earnings too.
According to the Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, that wasn’t the worst of it.
Park forced the children to sleep on the floor with only a blanket and pillow for comfort.
She would also beat the children, hit them with objects, slap them, and kick and stomp on their legs.
It was one such incident that brought the alleged abuse to light.
On January 4, Park reportedly kicked the girl’s leg until it swelled, then cut off her hair and began kicking her in the head.
An assistant principal noticed the abuse and called police.
He also told investigators he noticed the girl would miss class regularly and was so tired she often fell asleep during school.
Officers said Park would often take both kids out of school for extended periods of time in order for them to do work on the house.
One school year, they missed up to a month of school before Park allowed them to return.
Park was charged with labor trafficking, third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
She was released after paying a $2,500 bond.
If convicted she could spend up to seven years behind bars.
