SOL DE JANEIRO Jet Set
£22.50An official from the United Nations has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for coercing a woman into working as a domestic servant. Lydia Mugambe, a 50-year-old individual who was pursuing a PhD in law at the University of Oxford, was discovered by police to have a young Ugandan woman in her residence conducting unpaid labor as a maid and nanny. Despite also holding a position as a High Court judge in Uganda, Mugambe was convicted of modern-day slavery charges in March and was subsequently imprisoned at Oxford Crown Court.
During the sentencing, Judge David Foxton criticized Mugambe for her lack of remorse and attempts to shift blame onto the victim for the situation. The court heard that Mugambe deceptively organized a visa for the woman under the pretense that she would be a paid private servant at the diplomatic residence of John Mugerwa, the former deputy high commissioner of Uganda at the country’s embassy in London. Prosecutors revealed that Mugerwa was aware that the victim would actually work as a slave for Mugambe in exchange for assistance with a separate legal case in Uganda.
Despite Mugambe’s contributions to human rights advocacy, Mr. Foxton described the case as profoundly tragic. The victim, who remains unnamed for legal purposes, expressed living in constant fear due to Mugambe’s influential status in Uganda, stating she can never return to her homeland out of concern for her safety. According to the victim, Mugambe exploited her vulnerability by manipulating her understanding of labor rights and the circumstances surrounding her move to the UK, creating a significant power imbalance between them.
Thames Valley Police Superintendent Ben Clark emphasized Mugambe’s awareness of her criminal actions and highlighted the importance of addressing modern slavery as an often unreported crime. The University of Oxford condemned the crimes committed by their student, expressing their intent to initiate disciplinary actions that could entail removing students convicted of serious offenses. Mugambe, who denied allegations of mistreatment towards the victim, will now serve her sentence for her actions
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