Women escape from vice gang in Bahrain
Manama, June 25, 2014
Two Thai women had to climb to their freedom down a makeshift rope made out of curtains and bed sheets after they were forced into prostitution in a flat in Juffair, a court heard.
The victims, aged 23 and 25, came to Bahrain last year under the pretext that they would be given jobs at a hotel restaurant but soon found themselves having involuntary sex with men for money, according to court documents.
"I met a woman in the airport who took us to a female pimp who forced us to have sex with customers for BD20 ($52.7) to BD100," the 23-year-old said in her statement to prosecutors, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.
"I spent two weeks in an apartment with a lot of other Thai women, who were also forced into prostitution.
"I would have sex with three men a day and if I didn't I would be tortured."
After meeting an older Thai woman on Facebook, the 23-year-old pleaded with her to help secure her freedom - and she agreed to pay BD500 to the "female pimp," the court heard.
"I was then taken to her apartment in Juffair and she said I will go home in five days," said the younger victim.
"She had a Bahraini boyfriend who I asked to pay another BD500 to also free my friend.
"We stayed at the apartment and were expecting to be taken to Thailand, but they forced us to have sex with customers daily and beat us if we rejected.
"I expected this to happen, but thought I would be going home soon.
Escape
"Two months passed so we decided to escape on April 1 - we took the curtains and bed sheets and tied them together and used it as a rope to escape from the window."
Somehow, the pair got a message about their escape attempt to a relative, whose husband met them outside the building.
The 25-year-old, who had sprained her ankle during the escape, was taken to hospital for treatment before both reported their ordeal at the nearest police station.
A 24-year-old Bahraini and 39-year-old Thai woman earlier pleaded not guilty at the High Criminal Court to charges of running a prostitution racket and human trafficking.
Judges issued arrest warrants yesterday for two prosecution witnesses who have failed to appear in court and adjourned the trial until September 17. - TradeArabia News Service
