Organization that gave shelter to Khobragade’s maid refuses comment.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Safe Horizons, the New York-based organization that has supported Sangeeta Richard in her complaint against her employer Devyani Khobragade, Deputy Consul General at the Indian Consulate in New York, and who helped reach the complaint by the maid to the State Department, has refused to comment on the case, saying that they will do so only “next week.”
Safe Horizons is a support organization for victims of various kinds of abuse, such as domestic and sexual abuse, child abuse, homelessness, stalking, and labor trafficking. Their website describes them as the largest victims’ services agency in the country, helping 250,000 people in New York City alone each year. It was founded in 1978, and offers assistance through 57 program locations across the city.
When reached by phone, Public Relations Manager, Safe Horizons, David Beasley, told The American Bazaar, “Safe Horizon provides comprehensive case management that includes making connections to other community based organizations and often includes legal services.”
When asked about the Sangeeta Richard case specifically, Beasley said that Safe Horizons is not commenting on the matter at the moment, but will have information to share next week, likely after Monday’s court date at which Khobragade will face indictment from the US State Department. Beasley did, however, share some information regarding the organization.
About 70% of the clients Safe Horizon deals with are women, according to figures from their most recent reporting period. Over that same period of time, about 60% were victims of labor trafficking, and only 55% of them entered the country with valid visas.
Beasley also shared that the majority of clients Safe Horizons works with are in their 20s and 30s, but did not have a specific figure for that.
The organization does advocacy work on Capitol Hill, as well, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on lobbying efforts to promote victim welfare legislation. According to records found by The American Bazaar, the organization spent $140,000 on lobbying between 2002 and 2008, and contributed around $17,000 to various political campaigns between 2003 and 2008.
Specifically, they gave $2,000 to the 2004 campaign of John Kerry, $1,000 to Howard Dean’s primary run in the same election, and $1,000 to Barack Obama’s 2008 bid for the White House. They also donated semi-regularly to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that works towards helping LGBT citizens campaign successfully for elected office, and gave to the Republican group Help America’s Leaders once, in 2003.
Questions remain as to how Richard and Safe Horizons hooked up, what the organization is currently doing for Richard, and what her path going forward may entail.
Beasley was unable to confirm exactly what happens to clients after they are done with Safe Horizons – do the ones without valid visas get deported? Do the ones who are victims of labor trafficking get relocated and find new jobs within the US? The only thing that was confirmed is that, whenever possible, Safe Horizons arranges for legal help for its clients.
Sources told The American Bazaar last month that Richard and a lawyer initiated contact with Khobragade back in July, in an effort to get money from her and make Khobragade release Richard from her work contract – demands that were not met. It is unclear, but possible, that Richard’s lawyer was arranged for by Safe Horizons, who also may have provided her shelter and hidden her while Khobragade and the consulate attempted to track her down.