Homeless
charity claims victims had their passports taken away, were beaten, raped and
forced into prostitution
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| The charity alleges that the women came to Ireland on diplomatic visas and were employed by the embassies to work for embassy staff in Ireland |
Staff who worked at two embassies in Dublin have been allegedly
involved in trafficking vulnerable young women into Ireland to work as slave
labour.
And in one case, a young
woman was raped and later forced into sex work, according to a leading charity,
the Daisyhouse Housing Association.
It is alleged that one of
the women was beaten with a belt while the other was 'punished' by being left
outside in the rain for hours.
The charity, which supports
women in vulnerable situations, has said that the women are currently
undergoing counselling.
The charity alleges that
the women came to Ireland on diplomatic visas and were employed by the
embassies to work for embassy staff in Ireland.
All the embassy staff
involved have since left the country or have been reassigned elsewhere since
the sordid details came to the attention of authorities.
In one case, a 27-year-old
woman was hospitalised due to the violence.
In the other, the
25-year-old woman was repeatedly raped by her employer.
The woman was kept captive
in a room and was only let out to do her work. She was raped by the staff
member 'employing' her and was later forced into prostitution.
The abuse happened at the
homes of staff who worked at the embassies and not inside the foreign missions
themselves.
Both women had their
passports taken from them by their tormentors.
This weekend, Orla Gilroy,
CEO of Daisyhouse, said: "We understand that some of these cases are very
challenging, given the parties involved and given that the perpetrators have
now fled the country.
"The gardai have been
both supportive and respectful of all of these women and their situations and
for this we are very grateful."
However, she said: "It
is deeply concerning that there is so much unseen violence and abuse behind
closed doors in our country.
"These particular
women came to Ireland in the hope of a better life. They came with people they
thought they could trust.
"They came through the
appropriate channels. They were let down by those people and held against their
will until they managed to escape.
"If it hadn't been for
the kindness of a number of strangers, we dread to think what might have
happened to them. We believe, based on what we have been told by the woman
themselves, that they would be dead."
Ms Gilroy described the vulnerable
condition that the women were in when they came to the attention of the
charity:
"The women were
'fractured', emotionally and physically. One of the women had lost most of her
hair due to the stress of her situation.
"Another was two stone
under her 'appropriate' weight. The women hardly spoke for the first few
months. They would hardly leave their rooms.
"The physical and
emotional scars were clear to us. They were deeply depressed and one was
suicidal. It took them time to realise they were safe and to trust the staff.
"We would ask people
in the community if you are aware of situations of abuse of anyone, to please
notify your local garda station or an organisation that can help. Your call may
just save a life."
Daisyhouse Housing
Association is a non-government-funded 26-year-old registered charity and an
approved housing body which supports women to get out of homelessness.
The women they care for are
homeless due to domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual abuse, prison
sentences, addiction, coming out of HSE care, ill health, relationship
breakdown, human trafficking, loss of income and the death of a partner, as
well as various other reasons.
The organisation provides
this safe space and time with specialist support competencies through uniquely
tailored individual personal-support programmes and fully supported settlement
service programmes to the women.
The service helps them to
rebuild their lives so they can break the cycle of homelessness and move
forward.
It also provides them with
a comprehensive resettlement programme. Due to the housing crises, the women
can often be with the charity for a number of years.
Sunday
Independent
