Dubai: Three women and a businessman who forced a woman into prostitution after knowing she needed money for her sick mother have been jailed for three years each.

The Dubai Court of First Instance jailed the three women, S.R., D.K. and T.N., and a businessman, A.T., all Uzbeks, for three years for sexually exploiting their 27-year-old countrywoman.

The defendants lured the woman to come and work in a beauty shop in Dubai and coerced her into prostitution. She claimed her mother’s sickness was what made her to come to Dubai so she could pay for her hospital treatment.

Prosecutors said the defendants used all means of intimidation and threats to force her into prostitution. They confined her in a flat and forced her to have sex with strangers.

T.N. absconded from the UAE to Oman using a forged Uzbek passport.

Presiding Judge Ali Attiyah Sa’ad also jailed three Uzbek woman and a Ukrainian for two years for working as prostitutes.

A 57-year-old Uzbek woman was acquitted of running a brothel and housing the women.

According to Monday’s judgement, a 33-year-old Uzbek woman was cleared of working as a prostitute.

The defendants pleaded not guilty

The 27-year-old victim claimed that a friend of hers offered to lend her money but she refused.

“My friend told me that her sister, D.K., owned a garment shop in Dubai and that she had planned to open a beauty shop and was hiring staff. She said the salary was up to $3,000 (Dh11,018.) I agreed to take up the job because I was in dire need to pay for the medical expenses of my mother’s illness. I was brought here on a visit visa and kept in a flat. They forced me into prostitution. Once, I overheard the defendants speaking in Abkhaz, which they thought I didn’t understand. But I heard them saying they’ll keep me with 10 men in the desert for a week to keep on gang-raping me until I learn the lesson the hard way and work in prostitution.”

Court records said the victim pretended that she was fine working in prostitution although she had decided to abscond at the earliest opportunity.

Dubai Police’s anti-human trafficking section arrested the defendants, meanwhile T.N. left the country.

Monday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.