A 50-year-old UN judge, Lydia Mugambe, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for modern slavery offenses. Mugambe, a Ugandan High Court Judge and UN Criminal Tribunal Judge, was convicted of forcing a young Ugandan woman to work as her unpaid maid and childminder in Oxford.
The victim, who has been granted anonymity for life, testified that she felt trapped and feared Mugambe, who took her passport and prevented her from working or leaving the house. The court heard that Mugambe had the intention of “obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself.”
Mugambe was arrested in February 2023 after a report was made about the victim being held as a slave. She was found guilty of conspiring to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law, requiring a person to perform forced labor, conspiracy to intimidate a witness, and arranging or facilitating travel with a view to exploitation.
The victim described her experience as "unhappy" and said that Mugambe "took advantage of me, because from when I arrived the promise was not there." She added that Mugambe "was just despising me" and made her feel like she owed her for bringing her to the UK.
Commander for Oxfordshire, Chief Superintendent Ben Clark, said that Mugambe's qualifications and experience as a judge made it clear that she knew she was committing offenses. He encouraged other victims of modern slavery to come forward and report their experiences to the authorities.
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