The photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Hamza M Sengendo, Staff Reporter

SHARJAH: A man and a woman who coerced an underage girl into prostitution until she became mentally ill were hauled into court on Monday with two alleged streetwalkers.

The Asian dyer, 30, and an unemployed female accomplice, 33, with the help of a fugitive cohort lured the Bangladeshi girl, 15, on Dec.6.2018 with the prospect of employing her at a ladies salon in the UAE, records showed.

They exaggerated her age in the passport. Upon arrival at a Sharjah airport, they took her to an apartment (brothel) in Al Muteena. She cried. They demanded her to work and repay Dhs10, 000 they spent on bringing her.

Besides this, prosecutors charged both of cohabitation, charged the accomplice and her friend, 27, of working as prostitutes and charged a countrywoman, 34, of failing to alert authorities that the girl was being exploited.

The dyer denied trafficking and exploiting the girl but confessed to have had affairs with the accomplice. The accomplice, friend and countrywoman denied all charges. The Criminal Court hearing continues on Mar.25.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Department received an alert that the dyer confined a girl inside his flat and was forcing her to streetwalk by beating her. Policemen arrested him outside, stormed the flat and rescued the girl.

A lieutenant said, “We noticed she was suffering from psychological disorders. She behaved abnormally. She kept talking to herself, looking upwards and laughing unreasonably. She performed prayers from time to time.”

During police questioning, the dyer denied having exploited her. He claimed he only repeatedly beat her and tied her up for disturbing him and refusing to sleep. He claimed that that was the reason the girl was deranged.

However, the countrywoman said he and his accomplice coerced the girl to work at a brothel for a week. She returned abnormal, undressing and hurling clothes. The dyer tied her arms and legs with a veil and slapped her.

She said she failed to report the matter to the police because she was a residency law violator, having absconded from her sponsor around a year ago. And that the dyer had threated to report her in case she helped the girl.

She recalled a time when the dyer beat the girl while demanding her to repay the money spent on bringing her. Once she heard him and the accomplice saying they used the girl to earn Dhs2, 000 proceeds from 120 clients.