Court confirms 10-year jail term, BD2,000 fine for forcing woman into prostitution

TDT | Manama 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Justice finally served. It also means a little more peace for a victim of human trafficking, who will now fly back to her homeland, leaving behind a series of traumatic events.

The person responsible for the crime, the Supreme Court of Appeal confirmed, will stay in jail for ten years and be deported afterwards. The defendant fought charges of kidnapping, human trafficking for sexual exploitation and concealing criminal property -- money earned from the sex trade.

The defendant will have to remit a BD2,000 fine and pay for the victim’s return journey to her native. Court files say the victim, who landed in the Kingdom dreaming of a good job and better life, was greeted with physical abuse, confinement and sexual exploitation.

The incidents leading the woman into the prostitution ring started with the defendant offering her a job in the Kingdom. Dreaming about a regular job with an income to look after her family, the victim accepted the offer to reach the Kingdom.

However, it didn’t take much longer for the woman to recognise that it was a trap. According to the victim’s statement, the defendant drove her into an apartment, confiscated her passport and locked her up.

Terrified by the unforeseen circumstances, the woman struggled to free herself, but her cries fell on deaf ears. The victim told the court that she had to have sex with strangers out of fear of the defendant who assaulted her physically.

Her ordeal caught public attention only when the victim managed to sneak out of her confinement on a lucky day. She also filed a police report, landing the suspect in custody and further action by the Public Prosecution.

Prosecutors took her statements and provided her with necessary protection by placing her with the National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons. Investigators also found that the suspect was leading a life with the money the victim earned through prostitution.