Six sentenced in Dubai trafficking case

The victim from Kyrgyzstan was lured to the UAE and forced to work as prostitute.

DUBAI // Six people who enslaved, raped, beat and tortured a Kyrgyzstani woman over a period of five days have received sentences of up to eight years.

The 22-year-old woman told prosecutors she was brought into the country on April 28 last year after accepting a job from a compatriot as a pastry chef.

She says she was offered US$500 (Dh1,800) a month, and that her visa was prepared quickly.

When she arrived, she said her compatriot - who is now on the run - and another suspect told her she had been bought for Dh32,000 and would be working as a prostitute.

When she refused, she was beaten and raped by 13 men. She said that while she was raped two female suspects were present and spurred the men on.

She said she was also forced to cook, clean and do the defendants' laundry while she was locked in the flat.

On May 1, the victim said she was taken to prostitute herself with the Uzbek defendant KS and was raped three times. The next day, she told prosecutors she was put in a taxi and sent home.

In the taxi, records show, the driver realised her bruises were signs of abuse and took her to the Kyrgyzstan consulate in Dubai. Officials there later alerted the police.

NT, 33, an Uzbek, her compatriots KS, 38, and N I, 24, Afghan KJ, 26, his compatriot KI, 28, and Bangladeshi MH were convicted of human trafficking, rape, prostitution, operating a brothel, assault and aiding and abetting a crime.

The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced NT and KS to six years, KJ to eight years and six months, KA and NI to five years and MH to six months.