Yacht Worker Paid €480 for Four Months: Spanish Police Arrest Businessman

Police in Palma de Mallorca have arrested a businessman accused of exploiting a woman hired to work on his yacht. The woman says she was starved, beaten, and left with partial deafness after four months on board. The victim was hired as a sailor and stewardess. She says she was owed €17,500 in wages but received only €480. According to her statement to police, she often slept less than four hours a night. She was given tasks beyond her abilities and was sometimes fed only half a sandwich a day. She also reported physical attacks and degrading treatment. **Carbon Monoxide Poisoning** The woman suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty equipment on the yacht. The incident caused temporary partial deafness. Unable to continue and with no hope of recovering her unpaid wages, she left the vessel. She reported the abuse to police and returned to her home country. **Other Irregularities Found** The investigation was carried out by a special police unit that fights illegal immigration and document fraud. Officers also found problems with how the yacht was managed. The vessel's automatic tracking system had been switched off, and crew records were incomplete. The businessman was arrested earlier this week. Police have not released his name or details about his court case.