Maid charged with human trafficking

Dubai: A housemaid, who lured her Facebook friend with a bogus sales job offer to Dubai and then forced her into prostitution when she entered the country on a visit visa, has been charged with committing a human trafficking crime.

Prosecutors charged the 33-year-old Filipina housemaid, J.F., with committing a human trafficking crime by sexually exploiting her 31-year-old countrywoman, C.D., and forcing her to have sex with strangers for money. She was also accused of running a brothel.

A 31-year-old Pakistani driver, S.R., was also charged with raping C.D.

"No sir I did not do that. I am not guilty," argued J.F. when she defended herself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

She also provided Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad with a written waiver that she obtained from C.D.

"She has dropped her complaint and granted me a waiver," J.F. was heard claiming in courtroom four.

Her accomplice, S.R., denied his rape charges.

Testimony

The woman visitor testified that she met J.F., on Facebook and she claimed that could issue a visit visa for her.

"I came to Dubai in September… we agreed that I would be working as a saleswoman. She welcomed me at the airport, then she took me to a flat. She locked me inside and confiscated my passport. J.F. said I had to pay her Dh20,000, the cost she claimed to have paid for my visa. When I said I did not have such an amount, she told me to work in prostitution… but I strongly refused. She threatened me that I would not be able to return to my homeland and see my family and children.

"She confined me to a flat and banned me from going out except in her company. I was forced to yield to her threats and had to have sex with nearly 11 men against my will. She used to pocket the money. There was another woman who worked as a prostitute in the flat. One day I sneaked out when she fell asleep. I headed to the Philippines consulate and informed them as to what happened," C.D. claimed to prosecutors.

Prosecution records said S.R. raped the victim several times.

The court will appoint a lawyer to defend the suspects when it reconvenes on May 14.