A Nigerian lady, who was trafficked into Dublin and forced into prostitution, was having s*x with up to 10 men a day for no payment, a court has heard.
The lady has told a jury she underwent a “voodoo process” in her home country before coming to Ireland, during which she swore she would not report the alleged trafficker, Joy Imasogie (40).
The lady also alleged that while she was working as a pros-titute, Joy Imasogie’s husband, Kingsley, began “taking advantage” of her and having s*x with her.
Joy Imasogie has pleaded not guilty to organising for the lady to enter the country illegally, to compelling or coercing her to be a pros-titute and to controlling or directing the activities of pros-titution for gain.
On her second day of evidence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the victim said she lived in a flat in Phibsboro where she was visited by up to 10 men a day.
She told Kerida Naidoo, prosecuting, that Joy Imasogie and another woman made arrangements and that she would receive a phone call when a man was on the way.
She said the pros-titution service was advertised on a website run by a woman in England.
Joy Imasogie allegedly told her the price was €150 for half-an-hour and €250 for an hour. The complainant said the accused told her men might want anal s*x as an “additional service”, but she refused to do this.
She said she might receive €2,000 a day from the men. Of that, Joy Imasogie would allegedly take half for arranging the men to come and half to pay off a €50,000 “debt” she said the lady owed her for bringing her to Ireland.
The alleged victim said she was left with no money at the end of the day and that she received no allowance. She said she had to demand money from the accused for personal items and that Joy Imasogie would sometimes bring her food.
The woman said Joy Imasogie gave her fake passport to show to gardai if they called at the door.
One day gardai called but did not believe the passport was genuine. The alleged victim said she went upstairs and jumped out of the window to escape, breaking her leg.
She said she was in a cast for two months and during that time she was told by the accused to “answer the phones and direct people”.
She returned to pros-titution after the leg healed, she said. Sometimes the work involved travelling for “overnight” visits. She said the accused or her husband would drive her there.
She alleged that after she had been in Ireland for about a year, Joy Imasogie’s husband started to take advantage of her.
The lady said that after some time she thought she had worked off about €40,000 of the €50,000 debt. When she asked Joy Imasogie about this, the accused replied that she had lost the book she used to keep track of this and that she believed the woman had paid off only €15,000 or €20,000.
The lady said that in 2008 she left and refused to return. She said she did not want to be a pros-titute any more and refused to have any further contact with Joy Imasogie.
The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury.
