Dubai: A woman suspect created a scene at the Dubai Appeals Court Wednesday during the hearing of her appeal against a five-year sentence pronounced by the Dubai Court of First Instance last month on charges of human trafficking.

J.A., 38, an Uzbek national, had earlier been found guilty of sexually exploiting L.P., a 21-year-old Moldovan woman she had brought into the UAE as her maid. Denying the charges yesterday, J.A. maintained that she did not know the victim and had never even seen her.

Tearful defence

Crying hysterically almost throughout the proceedings, she said: "I am a human… I am not an animal. Who is the girl? I have never seen her. I don't know what she looks like. Bring her here so I can see her for the first time in my life. How can I be charged of sexually exploiting a girl whom I have never seen?"

Standing in her pink inmates' outfit before Presiding Judge Mustafa Al Shennawi, J.A. wept bitterly as she addressed the jury: "I have been charged with sexually exploiting a girl whom I have never met… bring her to court so I can identify her at least. I don't even know her name. What is her name?"

Her cries grew louder as Judge Al Shennawi read out from the charge sheet the name of the victim, L.P.

"I don't know her. Haram! I have been living in Dubai for years. I have a shop and I have never committed any crime or done anything wrong. I have children. Haram! Please sir, my situation is very difficult."

Primary court verdict

The primary court had earlier jailed J.A. for exploiting L.P. and forcing her to have sex with strangers for Dh1,000 per night.

Prosecutors said J.A. exploited L.P., forcing her into prostitution. She brought L.P. to Dubai to work as a housemaid but locked her up in a flat and forced her to work as a prostitute.

They added that the defendant coerced L.P. to sleep with strangers for money which she kept for herself.

L.P. testified that she repeatedly complained to several clients and asked them for help, until one of them advised her to call 999. Police later raided the flat and arrested the defendant.

The Appeal Court reconvenes on May 4.