Trafficked women testify

Ruhama has backed women who gave evidence against a gang that forced them into prostitution.  Thanks to the women’s testimony, an Irish man, his wife and his daughter were given prison sentences totalling over 12 years for crimes of organising prostitution in Ireland and the UK.

“We saw the human face of this crime because we supported a number of the victims.  Given of the gravity of the crime we would have expected a greater sentence.  But the fact that it did get to court was very positive and certainly the police forces in the jurisdictions worked very hard,” said Gerardine Rowley PRO, Ruhama, told ciNews.

Ruhama, set up by Catholic nuns and lay people in Dublin, stated that the women who gave evidence were victims of human trafficking.  Ruhama assisted six of these women - two were minors aged 15 and 17 when the abuse occurred.

“This case, in which three people were sentenced for prostitution related offences, highlights the despicable abuse of women and children in the Irish sex trade” said Gerardine Rowley.  “Many people will be shocked and even find it hard to comprehend that in their town or street women were literally enslaved in apartments.”

She explained that trafficked women come from countries where poverty is driving them abroad, they are deceived and coerced and various methods of control are used on them to force them into prostitution.  “They could appear as consenting to that life [prostitution] but there are sometimes invisible control mechanisms over them,” said Gerardine Rowley.

She added that the exploitation in this case was severe; they were lured to Ireland with the promise of a better life but found themselves entrapped through debt bondage, ritual oaths and violence. 

The full story of what has been inflicted on these women and many others did not emerge in the courts.  The victims in this case were very brave in reporting the crime, and by doing so sought justice for themselves and put some criminals out of business but also helped to stop the abuse happening to other women. 

“Our challenge now is to continue assisting these victims in their recovery and integration.  We hope compassion will be afforded to these women by the Irish state and that they will be allowed full protection and residency,” said Gerardine Rowley. 

The case involved Thomas Carroll, 48, and his partner Shamiela Clark, 32, who pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to conspiracy to control prostitution and conspiracy to money laundering.  Mr Carroll’s 26-year-old daughter, Toma pleaded guilty to conspiracy to money laundering.

Judge Bidder who heard the case said, “It’s no coincidence that all these women ended up working for you.  You did not ask and you did not care what personal tragedy lay behind them.”

The prostitution network was organised from a vicarage in Wales with a call centre that received up to 300 calls in any one day for several brothels throughout the UK and Ireland.  Women from Europe were mostly recruited through advertisements on the internet and publications in the UK.  Others from Nigeria were trafficked into the UK believing they would be educated and become hairdressers or seamstresses but were forced into prostitution.

The joint investigation by, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, An Garda Síochána, and British police originated during a coordinated UK wide operation into human trafficking.  An Garda Síochána raided up to 18 brothels, arrested six people in the Republic of Ireland and rescued a total of 14 victims.  The women gave evidence of their ordeal to the court in Cardiff by video link in the presence of a judge from a closed court in Dublin.

by Ann Marie Foley