A United Nations judge has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for enslaving a young Ugandan woman.
Lydia Mugambe, 50, exploited her position of power over the victim while studying for a law PhD at Oxford University.
The court found Mugambe guilty of taking “advantage of her status” in the “most egregious way.”
Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, stopped the woman holding down steady employment and forced her to work as her maid and provide childcare, prosecutors said.
Judge David Foxton, sentencing Mugambe at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, said it was a “very sad case”, outlining her legal accomplishments, including work concerning the protection of human rights.
Mr Foxton added that the defendant “showed absolutely no remorse” for her conduct and that she looked to “forcibly blame” the victim for what happened.
In a written statement, read to the court by prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC, the victim described living in “almost constant fear” due to Mugambe’s powerful standing in Uganda.
The young woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said that she “can’t go back to Uganda” due to concerns of what may happen to her and added that she may never see her mother again.
Mugambe was found guilty in March of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness after a trial.
According to her UN profile page, Mugambe was appointed to the body’s judicial roster in May 2023 – three months after police were called to her address in Oxfordshire.
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