|
2026-03-24 Britain
|
|
Look back: a year ago UN judge guilty of slavery in England, sentenced to 76 months in prison
|
[X]
| The Guardian, dateline 13 March 2025: |
UN judge ‘exploited and abused’ woman she forced into slavery, court rules
Lydia Mugambe, 49, was found guilty of forcing someone to work and conspiring to breach UK immigration law
A UN judge has been convicted of forcing a young woman to work as a slave who she “exploited and abused”.
Lydia Mugambe, 49, took “advantage of her status” over the victim in the “most egregious way” by preventing her from holding down steady employment and forcing her to work as her maid and to provide childcare without payment, prosecutors said.
Mugambe, who is also a high court judge in Uganda, was found guilty on Thursday of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness after a trial at Oxford crown court.
Caroline Haughey KC, prosecuting, told jurors during the trial: “Lydia Mugambe has exploited and abused [the victim], taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights to properly paid employment and deceiving her as to the purpose of her coming to the UK.”
Jurors accepted the prosecution’s case that Mugambe – who was studying for a law PhD at the University of Oxford – had engaged in “illegal folly” by arranging for the young woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to come to the UK.
The trial heard that Mugambe had the intention of “obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself”.
Mugambe denied forcing the young Ugandan woman to do household chores and said she “always” treated her with love, care and patience.
But the young woman had told the court she felt “lonely” and “stuck” because her working hours elsewhere were limited.
Haughey told the court: “On her arrival she was made to work for Lydia Mugambe from the very start, unremunerated and acting as maid and for childcare to give Mugambe back her life.
“Deprived of her freedom to choose her own work, to control her ID documents, she was beholden to Lydia Mugambe.”
She added: “A young woman brought in for the convenience of Ms Mugambe’s life but mistreated – mistreated by Ms Mugambe, a woman of power and intelligence who had no qualms in lying not only to [the victim] but to the police when they sought to ensure her safety and wellbeing.”
In footage of her arrest released by Thames Valley police, Mugambe appeared shocked when an officer said he was arresting her under the Modern Slavery Act.
She then had a conversation with the officer, in which she said: “I am a judge in my country, I even have immunity. I am not a criminal.”
Asked to reaffirm that she had immunity, she told the officer: “Yes, I have a diplomatic passport.”
According to her profile on the UN website, Mugambe was appointed to the body’s judicial roster in May 2023 – three months after police were called to her address in Oxfordshire.
Mugambe will be sentenced on 2 May.
Ugandan judge sentenced to over six years for modern slavery offences
02 May 2025
[CrownProsecutionService] Lydia Mugambe, 50, has been sentenced to six years and four months at Oxford Crown Court for:
- Conspiring to do an act to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-UK national
- Arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation
- Requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour
- Conspiracy to intimidate a witness
Eran Cutliffe, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime Division, said: "The victim showed tremendous bravery in speaking out and supporting the prosecution of the powerful woman who exploited her.
"I hope the Jury’s verdict provides her with some closure and ability to rebuild her life."
Lynette Woodrow, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor and national lead for modern slavery, said: “Lydia Mugambe took advantage of the young victim’s lack of understanding of her rights to properly paid employment.
“She exploited and abused the victim, who was hidden in plain sight through forced labour working as a maid and providing childcare for free.
“As a qualified lawyer, a Ugandan High Court judge and a United Nations Criminal Tribunal judge, Lydia Mugambe understood the rule of law and chose to overlook it.
“Modern slavery offences such as this one are incredibly serious and can have a profound effect on the lives of victims.
“The CPS is determined to tackle modern slavery, and we will continue to work hard alongside our partners to bring offenders to justice.”
Notes to editors
- Lydia Mugambe (DOB: 24/03/1975) formerly of Kidlington, Oxfordshire was convicted at Oxford Crown Court on 13 March 2025
- Mugambe is sentenced to six years and four months
- She will also pay the Victim compensation totalling: £12,160
- An Indefinite Restraining Order preventing Mugambe from contacting the victim directly or indirectly has been granted
- Victims of Modern Slavery are entitled to lifelong anonymity
# id) ?>
|
Posted by Procopius2k 2026-03-24 00:00||
E-Mail||
Front Page|| [1826 views ]
Top
|
|
03:43 trailing wife
00:29 Clyde Thaviling6482
00:14 Besoeker
00:13 Skidmark
Merry-Go-Blog
|
