Woman arrested in Bilbao for sexually exploiting Colombian compatriot
National Police arrested a woman in Bilbao who recruited a friend in Colombia with a false job offer in Austria and then forced her into prostitution.
Trafficker arrested in Bilbao after recruiting victim with false job offer in Austria
National Police have arrested a woman in Bilbao accused of sexually exploiting a friend who had arrived from Colombia through labour deception, according to deia.eus. The investigation began following a statement made by the victim herself.
According to the account given to officers, the now-detained woman knew of her friend's economic vulnerability and offered her supposed employment in the hospitality sector in Austria. To facilitate the move, she committed to paying for the travel costs upfront, with the promise that the costs would be reimbursed once the woman started earning income.
After accepting the proposal, the victim flew to Salzburg airport, where she was collected by an associate of the suspect. From there she was taken to a property in the town of Bregenz, where she was told that the real purpose of the move was to engage in prostitution. If she refused, she was threatened with reprisals against her family in Colombia.
The woman was subsequently transferred to another property where she encountered several Colombian compatriots in identical circumstances. All were forced to engage in prostitution with no option to refuse clients or certain sexual practices. The initial debt of 2,500 euros, far from decreasing, increased continuously as charges were added for room rental, food, lingerie and condoms.
The victim managed to escape with the help of one of the clients. Following her escape, both she and family members in Colombia received threats, which led to a request for intervention by Colombian authorities. Joint efforts by the agencies allowed officers to identify and arrest in Bilbao the main person responsible for the recruitment and exploitation.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)