Two people traffickers who helped force a woman into prostitution in Nottingham have been jailed under a new ‘modern slavery’ law.
Hungarian nationals Istvan Vinter and Maria Gaspar forced one victim to have sex with men while she was kept at properties in Nottingham during August and September 2015.
A second woman was sold to a man for a sham marriage in London.
Both had been trafficked to the UK by Vinter, 57, and Gasper, 23, who lured the pair with promises of work in a hotel.
Both have now been jailed after the first case in Nottingham and the East Midlands to use the new legislation – the Modern Slavery Act – which is designed to prevent forced labour and exploitation of migrants.
Detective Inspector Justine Wilson said: “This case highlights the appalling deception which faces some of the young women who travel to the UK from abroad with an apparent offer of honest and well-paid work.
“Unscrupulous traffickers such as Vinter and Gaspar are prepared to exploit these victims and subject them to degrading conditions and lives in order to make money.”
The women, who did not speak English, were ‘sold’ to buyers once they were in the UK.
The victim in Nottingham was forced to have sex with men and had her identity documents taken from her so she could not flee.
She was also offered for marriage to one man and even taken to a nightclub where she was offered for sex to another.
DI Wilson said:”In the case of these victims, they were offered to at least one person in marriage, passport and other essential identity documentation were stolen or handed over to males who purchased them which prevented the women from fleeing.”
While the first victim was being held in Nottingham, the other woman managed to contact relatives in Peterborough who helped her to escape back to Hungary.
DI Wilson added: “It was fortunate that one of the victims who had been trafficked, had escaped and, who in turn contacted the police. Without that development, it is frightening to think that the victim in Nottingham would have been subjected to a much longer ordeal.”
The police were alerted and detectives travelled from the UK to Hungary to interview the woman. It was her information which led them to the victim in Nottingham.
Nottinghamshire Police found her on September 17 at a property on Woodborough Road.
Shomsu Miah, aged 44, of Russell Street, Forest Fields, also admitted colluding with Vinter and Gaspar.
The victims in this case have been through an utter ordeal
All three were charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to their exploitation, and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration to an EU member state.
After a three-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court Gaspar was sentenced to six years in prison, and Vinter was sentenced to eight years.
Miah will be sentenced at a later date.
DI Wilson said: “I would like to praise the courage of the victims in this case who have been through an utter ordeal and yet returned to the UK to give evidence against those that had exploited them.”
