Africa-Press – Zambia. A United Nations judge who forced a young woman to work as a slävê while she studied for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford has been jailed for more than six years.
Lydia Mugambe, 50, was found to have taken ‘advantage of her status’ over the Ugandan woman in the ‘most egregious way’.
Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, stopped the woman holding down steady employment and forced her to work as her maid and provide childcare.
Following her convictions, bodycam footage released by the police showed Mugambe appearing shocked when she was arrested under the Modern Slavery Act
A United Nations judge who forced a young woman to work as her slävě has been sentenced to six years and four months having been convicted for a host of modern slavery offences at Oxford Crown Court.
Lydia Mugambe, 50, brought a Ugandan woman with her when she moved to Oxford to study for her PHD – forcing her to be an unpaid maid and childminder.
Judge Mr Justice Foxton told Mugambe she will serve half of her sentence in prison and the rest on licence.
The victim, who has been granted anonymity for life, said: “My existence to Lydia was not important. It made me feel unhappy.
“Because first of all, I couldn’t speak to her because I feared her.
“The first job which she had promised me when I came, it wasn’t there.
“She never paid me. She stopped me from working – because she said it wasn’t balanced with the times for the children.”In February 2023, after receiving a report that the victim was being held as a slǎvě, Mugambe was arrested at her address in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
Following a trial in March 2025, Mugambe was found guilty of conspiring to do an act to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, one count of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour, one count of conspiracy to intimidate a witness and one count of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
During her time with Mugambe in the UK, the victim’s passport was taken off her and she felt trapped.
Rona, not her real name, said: “She took advantage of me, because from when I arrived the promise was not there.
“Even when I worked, I was not paid. She was also stopping me from going out to work, so I had no hope.
“She was just despising me. She made out that because she had brought me here, it was a great help for me.”
The trial heard that Mugambe had the intention of “obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself”.
Caroline Haughey KC, prosecuting, told jurors during the trial: “Lydia Mugambe has exploited and abused [her alleged victim], taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights to properly paid employment and deceiving her as to the purpose of her coming to the UK.”Commander for Oxfordshire, Chief Superintendent Ben Clark, said: “Lydia Mugambe is an extremely qualified lawyer, a Ugandan High Court Judge and a UN Criminal Tribunal Judge. As such, there is no doubt that she knew she was committing offences.
“Modern slǎvêry is an under reported crime and I hope that the bravery of the victim in this case encourages other victims of modern slavery to come forward.
“If you are a victim or have information about modern slavery then please contact Thames Valley Police. We will listen and we will help you.
“You can contact us by visiting a police station, leaving details via our website or by calling 101.”
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