DUBAI // A Filipina hairdresser forced two women from her homeland into the sex trade after luring them to Dubai with a promise that she would find them legitimate jobs, a court heard yesterday.
M J, 25, told prosecutors that a friend put her in contact with A L, 33, who promised her employment at a supermarket. A L requested Dh6,000 to cover air fare, visa and housing expenses for the first two months.
M J said she sent a copy of her passport to A L but did not have enough money to pay for her relocation costs.
She said she was assured by A L that her expenses would be covered and that M J could repay her when she started working. M J said A L then sent her visa and air ticket, which she used to travel to Dubai on April 23.
The court heard that after meeting M J at the airport, AL took her to a one-bedroom apartment and told her that she owed Dh20,000. MJ said she protested, saying the agreed amount was far lower, but AL insisted she had to pay the money back before she could start work.
M J said that A L then told her she could raise the money by working in the sex trade.
M J said she refused and asked to be returned to the Philippines but A L shouted at her, seized her passport and demanded the money. Another Filipina, A J, 25, told prosecutors she had been offered a job as a sales clerk at a shopping centre before being told she was expected to be a sex worker. She alleged that AL warned her not to go to the police because she had connections.
A J told prosecutors she was forced to work as a prostitute for two weeks, earning between Dh300 and Dh700 per client.
The alleged victims managed to escape on May 7 after a customer fell asleep as they gave him a massage. A L denied the charges yesterday in the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance. The case was adjourned to November 8.
balqabbani@thenational.ae
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills