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US Court Dismisses Malian Child Labor Lawsuit Against Chocolate Giants
US Court Dismisses Malian Child Labor Lawsuit Against Chocolate Giants
Sputnik Africa
US Court Dismisses Malian Child Labor Lawsuit Against Chocolate Giants 23.07.2025, Sputnik Africa
2025-07-23T12:55+0200
2025-07-23T12:55+0200
2025-07-23T13:33+0200
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US Court Dismisses Malian Child Labor Lawsuit Against Chocolate Giants Plaintiffs' attorney said they are "extremely disappointed" and considering legal options. In an email letter, quoted by a US legal news site, he stated the defendants hid supply chain details, preventing victims from proving links to the farms where they were exploited as children.Eight Malian plaintiffs, who were trafficked as children to Ivorian cocoa farms and forced to work there, accused Hershey, Nestle and five other companies of:Knowingly benefitting from supply chains involving forced labor;Violating the US Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.Judge expressed "the greatest sympathy" for the victims, and "the greatest condemnation" to the exploiters, but ruled against the case, saying the plaintiffs "lacked standing" as:
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sputnik africa, united states (us), mali, cocoa, west africa, cote d'ivoire (ivory coast), child labor, children, human trafficking, court, court sentence
sputnik africa, united states (us), mali, cocoa, west africa, cote d'ivoire (ivory coast), child labor, children, human trafficking, court, court sentence
US Court Dismisses Malian Child Labor Lawsuit Against Chocolate Giants
Plaintiffs' attorney said they are "extremely disappointed" and considering legal options. In an email letter, quoted by a US legal news site, he stated the defendants hid supply chain details, preventing victims from proving links to the farms where they were exploited as children.
Eight Malian plaintiffs, who were trafficked as children to Ivorian cocoa farms and forced to work there, accused Hershey, Nestle and five other companies of:
Knowingly benefitting from supply chains involving forced labor;
Violating the US Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.
Judge expressed "the greatest sympathy" for the victims, and "the greatest condemnation" to the exploiters, but ruled against the case, saying the plaintiffs "lacked standing" as:
Plaintiffs failed to prove direct connection between specific companies and farms;
They couldn't identify which farms supplied which defendants;
General allegations about industry-wide practices insufficient.
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