A NIGERIAN WOMAN who was allegedly trafficked into the country and forced into prostitution was having sex with up to ten men a day for no payment, a trial has heard.
The woman has told a jury she underwent a “voodoo process” in her home country before coming to Ireland, during which she swore she would not report the alleged trafficker, Joy Imasogie (40).
The woman also alleged that while she was working as a prostitute, Imasogie’s husband, Kingsley, began “taking advantage” of her and having sex with her.
Imasogie of Chapleswood Crescent, Hollystown, Dublin 15, has pleaded not guilty to organising for the woman to enter the country illegally, to compelling or coercing the woman to be a prostitute and to controlling or directing the activities of prostitution for gain on dates between March 2006 and April 2008.
On her second day of evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court the alleged victim said she lived in a flat in Phibsborough where she was visited by up to ten men a day. She said the visits usually came at night or at lunchtime.
She told Kerida Naidoo SC, prosecuting, that Imasogie and another woman made the arrangements and that she would receive a phone call when a man was on the way. She said the prostitution service was advertised on a website run by a woman in England.
Imasogie allegedly told her the price was €150 for half an hour and €250 for an hour. The complainant said the accused told her men might want anal sex as an “additional service” but she refused to do this.
She said that she might receive €2,000 a day from the men. Of that Imasogie would allegedly take half for arranging the men to come and half to pay off a €50,000 “debt” she said the woman owed her for bringing her to Ireland.
The alleged victim said she was left with no money at the end of the day and that she received no allowance. She said she had to demand money from the accused for personal items and that Imasogie would sometimes bring her food.
The woman said Imasogie gave her a false passport to show to gardaí if they called at the door. One day gardaí called but didn’t believe the passport was genuine. The alleged victim said she went upstairs and jumped out the window to escape, breaking her leg in the process.
She said she was in a cast for two months and during that time she was told by the accused to “answer the phones and direct people”.
She returned to prostitution after the leg healed, she said. Sometimes the work involved travelling down the country for “overnight” visits. She said the accused or her husband Kingsley would drive her to there.
She alleged that after she had been in Ireland for about a year, Kingsley started to take advantage of her and have sex with her.
The woman said that after some time she thought she had worked off about €40,000 of the €50,000 debt. When she asked Imasogie about this, the accused replied that she had lost the book she used to keep track of this and that she believed the woman had paid off only €15,000 or €20,000.
The alleged victim said in 2008 she left Imasogie and refused to return. She said she didn’t want to be a prostitute anymore and refused to have any further contact with the accused.
The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury.
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