I sleep with 3 to 4 men a day - 18-year-old trafficked victim told court
Gilbert Boyefio
09/03/09
A Circuit Court in Accra was on Saturday filled with sorrow as an 18-year-old Chinese girl, trafficked to Ghana to practice prostitution, told the court that she was forced to sleep with 3 to 4 men a day.
The young lady (name withheld), disclosed to the court that she was forced into prostitution by her alleged pimp, James Xu Jim and his wife, Chow Xiou Ying, adding, “I have been crying everyday pleading with him and sometimes my clients to help me go back to China.”
A similar story was told by another trafficked victim, a 37-year-old divorcee with a son with a head tumour. James Xu Jim and two others including his wife, Chow Ziou Ying and Sam Shan are facing two counts of offences, namely, conspiracy and human trafficking. They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Giving evidence in the case on Saturday, the 18-year-old victim, who is also the second prosecution witness in the case, told the court that the pimp, James Xu Jim, always beat them, other trafficked girls and herself, when they refused to have sex with a client. She said on certain occasions when a girl refuses to service a client for a day, the pimp would compel that girl to pay him $50 for that day. “If this goes on for a month you would be compelled to pay $150 for that month,” she added.
Earlier on the victim narrated to the court the circumstances that led to her coming to Ghana. She said she was brought to Ghana by James Xu Jim and the wife, Chow Ziou Ying, on the pretext of offering her a job in their restaurant in the country. She told the court that she was poor and in dire need of money to pay debts she owed her aunt and uncle, who advanced money for surgery on her father, victim of an accident. She said as a result of the accident she had to drop out of school.She told the court that it was during this period that the wife of the pimp, who is her neighbour, together with the husband approached her family and offered to give her a job in their restaurant in Ghana, though they did not explain the exact nature of the job. Her travelling expenses were paid by her ‘benefactor.’ They were joined by two other girls at Shanghai on their way to Ghana.
According to her, when they arrived in Ghana, the pimp took them to the casinos, but did not tell them what they were doing there.She said one day, the pimp who lived with them at the Agyemang house at La, brought home a Lebanese man and asked her to have sex with him. She told the court that she refused and the pimp beat her. She said it was then that he told her that there was no restaurant but rather a mini brothel. She claimed that she demanded to be returned to China but the pimp would not listen to that. After forcing her to have sex with the Lebanese, the pimp took away all the money and told her that she owed him $6000 to pay for her traveling expenses and that she has to work to repay him.
She said they sleep with only whites, Lebanese, Indians but no blacks. According to her, they charged $70 a night and $40 for an hour. She reiterated that the pimp always takes all the monies. She said the pimp used to take them to meet their clients at hotels and casinos in taxis but within a month was able to purchase a car to be used for such purposes. She disclosed that after 10 months she stopped being a prostitute and the pimp’s wife took her back home to China; that was the only time the pimp gave her money, $3000.
She said in December 2008, the pimp came to China to plead with her to come back to Ghana and run a restaurant at Tema for him since she speaks English. She said she had not wanted to come but he assured her that there was no sex involved this time round. She also pointed out that she still owed people money, some to the tune of 20,000 Chinese yuan and therefore finally agreed. “If I had money I would not have returned. I don’t like it here in Ghana,” she cried.
However she was disappointed again when she found out there was no restaurant to run. She was again forced into prostitution. The victim said she was afraid that the family of the pimp in China could harm her family and herself. At this juncture she became agitated and the judge had to assure her of protection before she calmed down. Continuing with her evidence, she said she knows the La Police station but she is afraid of any reprisal in China. She indicated that she does not know the location of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana.
The whole police case was based on investigations conducted by the Crusading Guide’s investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas who was the first prosecution witness in the case. Earlier, Anas during his evidence-in-chief presented index of evidence including transcripts, audio conversations of sex negotiations, video of nude girls and other sexual paraphernalia. He said his interest in the case was the quest to save humanity. According to him, he befriended a Ghanaian house help, name withheld, to enable him get access into the house. The lady also informed him of happenings in the house.
However, lawyers for the accused persons tried to discredit him by suggesting that his investigation was motivated by hatred and jealousy for the accused persons.
09/03/09
A Circuit Court in Accra was on Saturday filled with sorrow as an 18-year-old Chinese girl, trafficked to Ghana to practice prostitution, told the court that she was forced to sleep with 3 to 4 men a day.
The young lady (name withheld), disclosed to the court that she was forced into prostitution by her alleged pimp, James Xu Jim and his wife, Chow Xiou Ying, adding, “I have been crying everyday pleading with him and sometimes my clients to help me go back to China.”
A similar story was told by another trafficked victim, a 37-year-old divorcee with a son with a head tumour. James Xu Jim and two others including his wife, Chow Ziou Ying and Sam Shan are facing two counts of offences, namely, conspiracy and human trafficking. They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Giving evidence in the case on Saturday, the 18-year-old victim, who is also the second prosecution witness in the case, told the court that the pimp, James Xu Jim, always beat them, other trafficked girls and herself, when they refused to have sex with a client. She said on certain occasions when a girl refuses to service a client for a day, the pimp would compel that girl to pay him $50 for that day. “If this goes on for a month you would be compelled to pay $150 for that month,” she added.
Earlier on the victim narrated to the court the circumstances that led to her coming to Ghana. She said she was brought to Ghana by James Xu Jim and the wife, Chow Ziou Ying, on the pretext of offering her a job in their restaurant in the country. She told the court that she was poor and in dire need of money to pay debts she owed her aunt and uncle, who advanced money for surgery on her father, victim of an accident. She said as a result of the accident she had to drop out of school.She told the court that it was during this period that the wife of the pimp, who is her neighbour, together with the husband approached her family and offered to give her a job in their restaurant in Ghana, though they did not explain the exact nature of the job. Her travelling expenses were paid by her ‘benefactor.’ They were joined by two other girls at Shanghai on their way to Ghana.
According to her, when they arrived in Ghana, the pimp took them to the casinos, but did not tell them what they were doing there.She said one day, the pimp who lived with them at the Agyemang house at La, brought home a Lebanese man and asked her to have sex with him. She told the court that she refused and the pimp beat her. She said it was then that he told her that there was no restaurant but rather a mini brothel. She claimed that she demanded to be returned to China but the pimp would not listen to that. After forcing her to have sex with the Lebanese, the pimp took away all the money and told her that she owed him $6000 to pay for her traveling expenses and that she has to work to repay him.
She said they sleep with only whites, Lebanese, Indians but no blacks. According to her, they charged $70 a night and $40 for an hour. She reiterated that the pimp always takes all the monies. She said the pimp used to take them to meet their clients at hotels and casinos in taxis but within a month was able to purchase a car to be used for such purposes. She disclosed that after 10 months she stopped being a prostitute and the pimp’s wife took her back home to China; that was the only time the pimp gave her money, $3000.
She said in December 2008, the pimp came to China to plead with her to come back to Ghana and run a restaurant at Tema for him since she speaks English. She said she had not wanted to come but he assured her that there was no sex involved this time round. She also pointed out that she still owed people money, some to the tune of 20,000 Chinese yuan and therefore finally agreed. “If I had money I would not have returned. I don’t like it here in Ghana,” she cried.
However she was disappointed again when she found out there was no restaurant to run. She was again forced into prostitution. The victim said she was afraid that the family of the pimp in China could harm her family and herself. At this juncture she became agitated and the judge had to assure her of protection before she calmed down. Continuing with her evidence, she said she knows the La Police station but she is afraid of any reprisal in China. She indicated that she does not know the location of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana.
The whole police case was based on investigations conducted by the Crusading Guide’s investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas who was the first prosecution witness in the case. Earlier, Anas during his evidence-in-chief presented index of evidence including transcripts, audio conversations of sex negotiations, video of nude girls and other sexual paraphernalia. He said his interest in the case was the quest to save humanity. According to him, he befriended a Ghanaian house help, name withheld, to enable him get access into the house. The lady also informed him of happenings in the house.
However, lawyers for the accused persons tried to discredit him by suggesting that his investigation was motivated by hatred and jealousy for the accused persons.
Comments
Post a Comment