February 14, 2021 10:46:34 am
Several Malian individuals have sued seven American chocolate companies for abetting and supporting illegal child labor in Côte D’Ivoire.
The plaintiffs are former child slaves who were trafficked from Mali to harvest cocoa beans in Côte D’Ivoire. They escaped the plantation and returned to Mali. As laborers, the children are not paid and are constantly subjected to physical abuse by farmers or traffickers. As there are no laws in Mali to aid the plaintiffs in seeking damages or civil remedies against foreign exporters, they brought their claims under US law, specifically the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and the Alien Torts Statute.