A LIMASSOL judge yesterday ordered a 25-year-old suspected victim of labour and sexual exploitation to remain in custody to answer charges of theft made by her employer after the domestic worker escaped from her workplace last month.
The 25-year-old domestic worker from Nigeria filed a series of complaints to the Limassol Labour Relations Office on October 4 relating to alleged abuses at her workplace as well as claims that her employer had taken her to a Paphos hotel to have sex with other men at least twice.
According to the complaint, which the Cyprus Mail has seen, the 25-year-old was allegedly made to work from 5.30am until 10pm without a day off and without pay and taken twice to a Paphos hotel to have sex with a man for money.
The 25-year-old escaped to Nicosia, where she was put in touch with Renos Pelayias, a retired policeman, who for a small fee gave her shelter and helped her file a complaint with the district labour office after first informing immigration police.
At no point did the labour office or police refer her claims of sexual exploitation to the Office for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, headed by Rita Superman.
Within days of filing the complaint, her Limassol employer made a counter-claim that the domestic worker had stolen €3,500 worth of jewellery.
The 25-year-old categorically denies the charges, claiming she left her workplace with only the clothes on her back.
On October 12, both the employer and employee were called to the Limassol labour relations office to give their respective version of events. As soon as the meeting ended, police arrested the 25-year-old in connection with charges of theft. She has been in prison since.
When first taken to Limassol court, the 25-year-old had no legal representation. The judge ordered her detention until trial.
After Limassol lawyer Andry Ioannou stepped in to represent the Nigerian woman without pay on humanitarian grounds, she requested her client be released while filing on her behalf a request for legal aid.
Weeks later, the welfare office has yet to prepare a report on the request for legal aid.
During a court hearing yesterday, the judge rejected Ioannou’s arguments that the 25-year-old was neither a flight risk nor a burden on the state, and ordered her detention until trial.
Backing her decision, the judge reasoned that the 25-year-old had no job, no money and nowhere to stay. The latter argument was made following a mix-up on the charge sheet regarding her new Nicosia address which has yet to be cleared up.
The judge ordered her incarceration until the next court date on December 5, meaning the potential trafficking victim will spend at least two months in prison since making her allegations against her employer.
At the next court hearing, the court will examine the request for legal aid, after which a new date will be set for the actual theft trial to start.
Under current practices, if a domestic worker makes a complaint against their employer, the labour official compiles a report and sends it to an advisory committee which will provide a recommendation to Migration Department head Anny Shakallis. This can take anywhere between four and seven months.
Until a decision is taken, the domestic worker usually has nowhere to stay and no legal access to the labour market.