New Zealand Man Sentenced for Enslaving and Sexually Abusing Vulnerable Victims
Auckland resident Moeaia Tuai will be sentenced next month after being found guilty of enslaving a young woman and subjecting her to sexual abuse, in a case echoing New Zealand’s most infamous slavery trial. The harrowing ordeal, along with the liberation of a second victim, highlights the rare but devastating reality of modern slavery within the country.
Tuai, 63, a Samoan chief known as a matai, systematically stripped his victims of their autonomy, controlling their finances, movements, and communications. Prosecutors successfully argued that he engaged in a pattern of coercive control, demonstrating “treating a person as if they were owned.”
The court heard evidence detailing the extent of Tuai’s control, including restricting victims’ freedom of movement and association, using threats of violence and deportation, and denying access to education and financial independence. His own diaries were presented as evidence, meticulously documenting the hours worked, wages withheld, and punishments inflicted upon the female victim.
The male victim, who dreamed of completing his education, was forced to work between 50 and 60 hours a week for a meager $100-$150, equivalent to $2 or $3 per hour. He escaped Tuai’s control in 2020 after four years of exploitation, including a period spent in Australia. It was only after the woman came forward four years later alleging rape that police uncovered the full extent of the slavery endured by both individuals.
Investigators discovered that over the course of their captivity, the victims were compelled to surrender their earnings to Tuai – totaling an estimated $78,000 or more for one victim alone. Despite pleading not guilty, a jury unanimously convicted Tuai on 19 charges, including two counts of slavery and multiple counts of sexual offending against the female victim.
Tuai’s methods of control were particularly insidious. He forbade the victims from speaking to each other, even during meals, and isolated them from the outside world. He threatened to kill the female victim if she revealed the sexual assault and threatened both with deportation if they attempted to expose his crimes. A recording of a phone call Tuai made to Internal Affairs following the woman’s escape revealed his frustration at being unable to carry out his threats.
This case bears striking similarities to that of Joseph Matamata, who in 2020 became the first New Zealander convicted of both slavery and human trafficking. Matamata held thirteen victims, including a 12-year-old, captive behind a wire fence in Hastings, forcing them to work.
The Tuai case underscores the challenges in prosecuting modern slavery in New Zealand. While this represents only the fifth such conviction in the nation’s history, authorities believe the true extent of the problem is far greater. A 1991 case involved a Thai man selling a woman into slavery for $3000, while more recently, Kasmeer Lata was sentenced to over 10 years for forcing her underage daughter into prostitution in Auckland.
Recent data indicates a concerning rise in migrant exploitation. A ministerial advisory group reported nearly four times as many complaints in 2024 compared to the previous year, suggesting that “serious migrant exploitation, such as people-trafficking, forced labour and sexual exploitation, is underreported and growing within New Zealand.”
University of Auckland’s Centre for Research on Modern Slavery director Christina Stringer emphasizes that the low number of prosecutions does not equate to a lack of prevalence. “Successful prosecutions often rely heavily on victim testimony, and many migrant workers may be unwilling to come forward – or may not even recognise themselves as victims,” she explained.
Tuai remains in custody and will be sentenced in February. He faces a maximum sentence of 14 years for slavery and 20 years for rape.
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