Condition similar to slavery for 20 years: elderly couple had to live in a warehouse The farmer who kept an elderly couple in conditions similar to slavery for 20 years on a rural property in Guarapuava, in the central region of Paraná, will pay R$70,000 to them – R$50,000 in severance pay and retroactive labor rights, and another R$20,000 in moral damages. The value was defined in an agreement signed between the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT), the victims and the employer, which g1 found to be rural producer Elton Lange. RPC, a TV Globo affiliate in Paraná, tried to interview him in person, but he refused and did not comment on the situation. The case came to light after the couple was rescued on Wednesday (10) by the Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT), linked to the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE). The agency states that the 84-year-old man worked as a rural worker on the property and was placed to live, with his 66-year-old wife, in a warehouse with a rotten structure that was improvised as a house, with an external bathroom and shower. According to labor inspectors, the victims did not have running water and depended on third parties to obtain food, as they faced difficulties in traveling to urban centers. Remember details below. ✅Follow the g1 PR channel on WhatsApp "In addition to the degrading conditions, the suppression of other labor rights was found, such as lack of registration, non-granting of paid annual leave, non-payment of thirteenth salary, remuneration below the regional minimum wage", they state. Also according to MPT representatives, at the administrative level, 14 irregularities were identified. In the criminal sphere, the farmer can be investigated by the Federal Police. However, this Thursday (1), the corporation told g1 that it had not yet been notified about the situation. The rescue was carried out in the town of Combrão, close to PR-170. According to José Luiz Queiroz, labor inspector, the couple was assisted by the municipality's social assistance team and sent to the home of their son, who grew up in the same place with his parents and then moved to the city. House and bathroom were in separate structures Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT) READ ALSO: Another case: Elderly man forced to work 24 hours a day is rescued Forecast: Cyclone formation extends storm warning in Paraná See: Video of dogs released on the street by a clinic leads to the discovery of a series of irregularities 84-year-old man is rescued from slavery-like conditions Accommodation with risk of collapse, fire, suffocation and poisoning According to the auditors, the couple's improvised accommodation was at risk of collapse and fire, with consequent suffocation and poisoning due to the structure provided by the employer. The place was completely closed off. "The residence showed advanced signs of deterioration, with parts of the structure rotting, gaps in the walls and risk of compromising the stability of the building. [...] Firewood and combustible materials were stored next to the wood stove, and there was an inadequate installation of a gas cylinder inside the residence." Accommodation was structurally damaged, according to inspectors Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT) The team also found that the elderly couple improvised three different structures to live in, all built in wood: an old warehouse was adapted as a house and, 20 meters away, the worker built a bathroom. In a separate structure, a shower was improvised. "The bathroom used was located outside the residence, approximately 20 meters away. The sanitary structure had been built by the worker himself, without adequate facilities being provided by the employer. [...] The place used for bathing also presented precarious conditions, with open walls, cracks, improvised electrical installations and irregular water supply. " Also according to the auditors, the water used for consumption and domestic activities was collected directly from springs and water courses on the property through improvised installations by the worker himself. The couple reported that they boiled water before consumption, whenever possible. During the inspection, it was also found that the employer did not provide protective equipment or other inputs necessary to carry out the activities carried out on the property and that the couple was at risk of bites from venomous animals and diseases of the respiratory system, "due to the lack of conditions for closing and sealing the walls of the buildings, with gaps that did not offer protection against atmospheric conditions of cold and wind or access by venomous animals". Work similar to slavery: understand what it is, how to recognize it and how to report it Accommodation was structurally damaged, according to inspectors Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT) Reports Cases of work similar to slavery can be reported anonymously and securely through the Ipê System, available online. Access this link The platform was launched by the Labor Inspection Secretariat (SIT), in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), and is part of the permanent actions of the Labor Tax Audit in combating contemporary slave labor. Most watched videos on g1 Paraná Read more news on g1 Paraná