Arrest in Innsbruck: Man accused of forcing women into prostitution
Police operation in Tyrol: a 27-year-old stands accused of luring two women into the sex trade through a fake relationship and exploiting them over a period of months.
Arrest in Innsbruck: Man accused of forcing women into prostitution
During a routine check on 9 June in Innsbruck, officers uncovered a possible pimping network. A 27-year-old man from Romania is now in custody awaiting trial. His 22-year-old companion has also come under investigation.
The police officers stopped the couple early in the afternoon due to a traffic violation. A passer-by pointed out to officers that the man may be involved in street prostitution. The passer-by also stated that two women were being held in a nearby bar and appeared to be forced to sell sexual services.
Officers contacted the two women, both 23 years old and also from Romania. In conversations with them, they described how the suspect had bound them to him through false affection. Over an extended period, they were forced to engage in the trade and hand over all their money to him.
One of the victims stated that she had been assaulted and intimidated by the man. She lives in constant fear of him. On the basis of these accounts, Innsbruck state prosecutors ordered the detention of the 27-year-old at 16:30 on the same day on suspicion of serious coercion and pimping.
As investigations progressed, further grounds for suspicion emerged. The detainee is now also accused of withholding documents, using physical violence and damaging property. The 22-year-old who was arrested is alleged to have assisted in the suspected exploitation and to have intimidated one of the women in a life-threatening manner.
The primary suspect was transferred to a detention facility on the orders of the prosecution authority. Investigations are ongoing.
Source: MeinBezirk.at
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)