Woman faces trial in Bahrain court for forcing another into prostitution

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Criminal Court has adjourned the hearing of the case of an Asian woman, aged 42, accused of defrauding another woman and forcing her into prostitution.

The defendant is said to have lured the victim into Bahrain by providing a fake job offer, fabricated by the husband of the accused. 

“She (the defendant) was waiting for me at the airport when I arrived. She welcomed me, and took me to an apartment, where she locked me. I was told that my job is that of a prostitute.

“I initially resisted her attempt to force me into prostitution, but I was threatened and had to accept having sex with strangers,” the woman told Prosecutors.

It’s said that the victim was subject to brutal beatdowns. The victim managed to escape from the apartment and a pedestrian helped her to reach a police station before reporting her case.  The 42-year-old woman was later arrested, questioned and charged before facing a trial over accusations of holding a woman captive and forcing her into prostitution. 

The Daily Tribune earlier reported about all social media platforms being allegedly misused by the vice network to boost flesh trade in the Kingdom.   

The report quoted a citizen as saying: “All social media platforms are filled with links posted by members of the vice network, which is very well established. They post vulgar and indecent pictures of women with an aim to attract ‘potential customers’. 

“During the pandemic, the vice network also started going online like other sectors. It is high time the authorities put a brake on these activities by further intensifying its efforts against the vice ring or else it will affect the image of our great nation.” 

Another report published by the newspaper highlighted the using of children’s pictures on all social media platforms to promote flesh trade in Bahrain by members of the vice ring.   Many parents took to social media to alert the authorities about using children’s pictures to boost vice trade. 

“Why are the authorities not taking action against these people? They are using pictures of children to boost their trade and this should not be allowed,” posted Riyaz Ahmed.  Speaking to The Daily Tribune, a Bahrain resident, who is a mother of three children (doesn’t want to be named in the report), said she is really worried about her children’s pictures being used by members of the prostitution ring. 

“We regularly post the pictures of our children on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms as we have relatives and friends across the world. What if those pictures are downloaded and used for these kinds of vice purposes?” she asked. 

The pictures are mainly posted on popular social media groups in the Kingdom. An IT expert told The Daily Tribune that admins of all these social media groups must be held accountable for these postings as it is their duty to scrutinize the content and picture postings across these platforms. 

The Interior Ministry has intensified its efforts against vice trade and its associated crime human trafficking. The Daily Tribune recently published a report in which Global Organised Crime Index highlights the Kingdom’s success against human trafficking.