Abu Dhabi human trafficking victim feared arrest for prostitution

The Syrian woman was too scared to report her ordeal to police because she feared she would be arrested for prostitution, hears court.

ABU DHABI // A human trafficking victim delayed reporting her ordeal because she feared she would be charged with prostitution, a court heard this week.

The woman, from Syria, came to the UAE after a neighbour said her husband could find her work. But when she arrived the husband and another woman confiscated her passport and took her to a brothel.

She was told she had to prostitute herself because she had not paid all of her travel expenses.

She was forced to have sex with clients for seven days.

"Why didn't you report them immediately to police?" asked Chief Justice Sayed Abdul Baseer, head of the Criminal Court.

Sobbing, the woman said she was scared she would be charged with prostitution. She eventually agreed to tell the police after a friend urged her to do so. She had been in the UAE for just 10 days.

Prosecutor Hassan Al Hammadi, a member of the anti-human trafficking committee, said it was "quite obvious" the woman was a victim. "She was emotionally devastated and traumatised when the arrests took place," he said.

Two people face charges of human trafficking – the husband and the woman with him at the airport. Two other women were charged with prostitution. The Syrian woman was not charged.

The case was adjourned until June 10.