FOUR people have appeared in a Bahrain court in connection to being part of a human trafficking ring.
Three Bangladeshi men and an Indonesian woman pleaded not guilty to the charges at the High Criminal Court yesterday, where they appeared for their first hearing.
They have all been accused of holding an Indonesian woman captive, forcing her into prostitution, being part of a human trafficking ring and running a prostitution racket.
According to case files, the female defendant is said to have convinced the victim, who worked as a housemaid, to flee from her employer after meeting on a social media platform.
However, the victim, 33, was instead locked up in an apartment in Gudaibiya where she was coerced into the vice trade.
She was rescued in May of this year after she managed to call her embassy who alerted local authorities.
“I worked for a Bahraini family for three months as a housemaid,” said the victim in her statement to the Public Prosecution.
“I later worked for another employer and got into arguments with him which is when I met an Indonesian woman on Facebook.
“I asked her for help and she said she will help me escape from my sponsor’s house.
“The woman, along with other Bangladeshi men, took me in a car to a flat in Gudaibiya, but then they took my mobile phone and said I will have to have sex with men for BD5.
“They forced me into prostitution for a month.”
The victim, who has three children back in Indonesia, told prosecutors that she was then sold to another pimp for BD300.
“When I pleaded with the Indonesian woman to allow me to travel back home she said she couldn’t because I escaped from my sponsor,” she added in the statement.
“She then sold me for BD300 to another person who also forced me into the vice trade.
“I managed to call my embassy and they alerted authorities about my ordeal and I was rescued on May 4.”
Admitted
However, the female defendant denied helping the victim escape from her employer, but admitted during questioning to forcing her into the vice trade.
“When I came to Bahrain I was working as a maid but then I met another Indonesian woman who helped me flee from my sponsor,” said the defendant in her statement to the Public Prosecution.
“I then met two Bangladeshi men and started to have sex with them and so I worked as a prostitute to make some money.
“These men then brought (the victim) to me and I locked her up and brought her customers.”
The female defendant has also been charged with solicitation.
The trial was adjourned until August 20 for review.
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