Two people being questioned after police rescued three alleged slavery victims, including a 30-year-old woman who spent her whole life in servitude, have been released on bail.
The woman, who is British, was rescued alongside a 57-year-old Irish woman and a 69-year-old Malaysian woman from a house in Lambeth, south London, last month, after one of the women called a support charity asking for help.
A couple, both 67, were arrested at the house at about 7.30am on Thursday as part of the investigation into slavery and domestic servitude. They were bailed until a date in January, Scotland Yard said.
Police believe the trio may have been held against their will for more than three decades.
Investigating officers said they had “never seen anything of this magnitude before” and described the three as “deeply traumatised”.
There was no evidence to suggest anything of a sexual nature, police said.
Outside Scotland Yard’s headquarters in central London, detective inspector Kevin Hyland said he was unable to confirm any relationship between the suspects and the three women who were freed.
“Clearly, because of the nationalities of the women that have been held victims, it’s very unlikely they are related in any way,” he said.
“It’s part of our investigation who had any freedom, what sort of freedom, under what conditions that freedom was allowed.”
He added: “This is an extraordinary case. We have had cases where people have been held for up to 10 years previously but three decades is unseen before in the United Kingdom.”
Scotland Yard said the Irish woman contacted the support organisation Freedom Charity on October 18 to say she had been held against her will for more than 30 years, and that two others were held with her.
All three women were taken to a place of safety where they remain.