A trial heard that a young woman who was allegedly duped into traveling to the UK to serve as a slave for a United Nations judge felt “lonely” and “stuck.”
Lydia Mugambe is accused of preventing the lady from finding a stable job and forcing her to work as her maid and provide childcare.
On Wednesday, jurors at Oxford Crown Court were given a taped police interview in which the woman stated that she had “lost all hope.”
Ms Mugambe, who was pursuing a PhD at the University of Oxford at the time, denies all four counts.
Jurors heard that the alleged victim came to the UK expecting Ms Mugambe to help her find work outside of her childcare duties.
According to jurors, the woman stated that she wanted to work but was unable to do so due to Ms. Mugambe’s “instruction.”.
Ms. Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, instructed the alleged victim to notify her employers that she would be unable to work on weekends since her children would be at home alone, the court heard.
The 49-year-old allegedly told the lady that if police discovered her children alone at the Oxfordshire house, she would be “locked up.”.
In the interview, the woman, who cannot be named, told police: “I was so stuck and I felt so lonely. At home she [Ms. Mugambe] was changing every day; she was a different person.”
The woman was hesitant to speak with others in case they notified Ms. Mugambe about her concerns, jurors heard.
When she eventually told Ms. Mugambe that she wished to return to Uganda, the defendant allegedly said, “How will I profit from that?” The court heard the question, “What will I do with the child?”
The woman told police, “Things were getting worse and changing every day, and I had that pain where I could not turn to anyone; there was no one to talk to.”
Ms Mugambe denies conspiring to facilitate a violation of UK immigration law, arranging travel with the intent to exploit, forcing someone to work, and conspiring to intimidate a witness.
