A United Nations judge has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for enslaving a young Ugandan woman in the United Kingdom.
Lydia Mugambe, 50, was convicted at Oxford Crown Court of multiple offences, including conspiring to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness.
During the trial, the court heard that Mugambe exploited her victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, by forcing her to work as a maid and provide unpaid childcare while preventing her from securing paid employment. The prosecution said Mugambe tricked the woman into coming to the UK under false pretenses, taking “advantage of her status” in what was described as the “most egregious way”.
Mugambe, a High Court judge in Uganda and a recent addition to the UN’s judicial roster as of May 2023, was pursuing a PhD in law at the University of Oxford at the time of the offences. Her arrest by Thames Valley Police occurred three months prior to her UN appointment. When confronted by officers, Mugambe claimed diplomatic immunity and insisted she was not a criminal, stating the victim had volunteered to come with her.
Sentencing her on Friday, May 2, Judge David Foxton described the case as “very sad” and noted her extensive background in human rights law. However, he emphasized that Mugambe showed no remorse and instead sought to shift blame onto the victim.
In a statement read in court, the victim spoke of living in “almost constant fear” due to Mugambe’s influence in Uganda. She expressed fears for her safety if she were to return home and said she may never see her mother again.
Prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC told the court that Mugambe deliberately deceived the woman to serve her own interests. “She exploited and abused [the woman], taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights to properly paid employment,” Haughey said.
