Chai Brady
The first conviction under current human trafficking legislation has been welcomed as “historic” by a charity that supports women affected by prostitution.
Ruhama CEO, Barbara Condon said last week’s judgement in Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court is “undoubtedly historic and we greatly welcome the verdict”.
She said the charity’s caseworkers had worked “tirelessly” with the women involved as witnesses in the case for three years.
Convicted
The people convicted were two women who ran a prostitution ring from a base in Co. Westmeath. They were each found guilty of two counts of trafficking women from Nigeria into Ireland, contrary to the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008.
Evidence was heard from four women during the trial. They said they were forced into prostitution in Ireland after undergoing a voodoo ceremony in their native Nigeria.
“The courage and resilience showed by these women was staggering and they are to be commended for their essential contributions to the case. This conviction signals a key milestone in the recovery journey of these women who sought to contribute to justice against their perpetrators,” Ms Condon said.
“It is our hope that they will serve as an important example to other victims of sexual exploitation that justice is possible and they can pursue perpetrators in the knowledge that they will be supported by agencies like Ruhama and An Garda Síochána.”
The charity was founded as a joint initiative of the Good Shepard Sisters and the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity.