A verdict date has been set in the trial of a labourer accused of trafficking a woman, holding her captive and sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions.
The High Criminal Court will issue its ruling in the case on June 10.
According to the victim’s harrowing testimony, the 47-year-old Indian defendant allegedly locked her up and forced her to have sex with strangers until she suffered from injuries in her private parts.
The 27-year-old Indian woman said that she came to Bahrain to work in childcare and elderly care, but was met with a shocking surprise when the man took away her passport and trafficked her.
“When I was in India, I agreed with the defendant to come over to work, and he provided me with a plane ticket and a visit visa,” the victim told the Public Prosecution.
“As soon as I arrived, he took me to his apartment and held me captive in a room for four days. He said that there were no job opportunities, and that I must work in the vice trade to pay off my immigration expenses.
“He took me to hotels over the course of two days and forced me to have sex with ‘customers’ for money, which caused bleeding in my private parts, while he took all the income for himself.
“He also sexually assaulted me around five times by groping my breasts and brushing himself against me.”
The woman told prosecutors that she remained captive in the Gudaibiya room until policemen finally came and rescued her a week later.
A policeman stated that he received information about the Indian man’s alleged criminal activities, where he is said to have picked up a woman at the airport only to exploit her for his own nefarious ends.
The man stands accused of six charges related to sex trafficking – four felonies and two misdemeanours – including depriving the woman her freedom.
He was also charged with compelling her to commit prostitution through force, coercion and deception, and encouraging a person to enter the vice trade.
He was additionally charged with transporting her to and from locations to engage in prostitution, taking away her passport and exploiting her against her consent and depending on her sex work earnings to make a living.
Meanwhile, the defendant claimed that the woman refused to leave the room of her own free will, and that she owed him for bringing her over to Bahrain.
The defendant has been remanded into custody as the trial is underway.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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