A 50-year-old Ugandan judge, Lydia Mugambe, who worked with the United Nations, has been sentenced to six years in prison by a UK court for modern slavery.
Mugambe was convicted of forcing a young woman to work as her maid without pay and pressuring her to drop the case.
The Oxford Crown Court found Mugambe guilty of conspiring to break UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and intimidating a witness.
The court revealed that Mugambe, also a High Court judge in Uganda, used her position to arrange for the victim to come to the UK and work as her maid, providing childcare and domestic services without compensation.
The victim described living in constant fear due to Mugambe’s influential position in their home country.
Judge David Foxton, while delivering the sentence, acknowledged Mugambe’s legal accomplishments but stated that the case was “very sad.”
Mugambe’s conviction and sentencing are seen as a significant step in the UK’s commitment to fighting modern slavery.
This case underscores the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation, regardless of their immigration status.
