Two expatriates have been sentenced to seven years in prison for trafficking two minors into Bahrain and exploiting them in the vice trade.
The Pakistani nationals – a 32-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman – were also fined BD2,000 each by the High Criminal Court.
The victims, two sisters aged 16 and 17 and also Pakistani nationals, were reportedly trafficked into the kingdom through Saudi Arabia. They were forced into prostitution, deprived of their freedom and had their earnings taken by the defendants.
Court documents state that the victims were subjected to threats against their physical safety and even kept in degrading conditions.
According to testimony from the 17-year-old, she and her sister were housed in a hotel in Juffair. She said they had travelled to Bahrain through Saudi Arabia after being promised an opportunity to earn money by an unidentified individual – known only as ‘Rana’.
Upon arrival, the defendants allegedly exploited their vulnerable situation and financial hardship, forcing them to meet clients in exchange for money.
After each encounter, the defendants would seize the money by force, leaving the victims with nothing.
The sisters said they had initially resisted involvement in such activities but were driven by their financial circumstances and became fully dependent on the income generated from meeting clients.
They added that they were repeatedly threatened if they failed to comply and were locked in a room for days on end.
The case came to light after an officer from the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science’s Anti-Human Trafficking Directorate received a report about the victims.
Authorities immediately launched an investigation, which confirmed that the two victims – who were not even 18 years of age – were being forced into the vice trade against their will by a trafficking network.
The suspects were arrested, and the girls freed from their ordeal.
Following interrogation and the presentation of evidence, the defendants were referred to the High Criminal Court on charges including human trafficking through coercion, forcing minors into prostitution using threats and deception, unlawfully depriving them of their liberty for financial gain and confiscating their earnings.
The first hearing was held on May 25, with the defendants denying the charges.
Subsequent hearings took place on June 2 and June 8. On Monday, the court delivered its verdict.
In addition to the prison sentences and fines, the defendants have been ordered to bear the cost of repatriating the victims to Pakistan and will be deported from Bahrain after completing their sentences.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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