UN judge found guilty of forcing young woman to work as slave

Lydia Mugambe exploited the young woman to work for her, the court is told - (UN)

A United Nations judge has been convicted of forcing a young woman to work as a slave. Lydia Mugambe, 49, took advantage of her status over her victim by preventing her from holding down steady employment and forcing her to work as her maid and to provide free childcare, prosecutors said.

Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, was found guilty on Thursday of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness following a trial at Oxford Crown Court.

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.”

Jurors accepted the prosecution’s case that Mugambe – who was studying for a law PhD at the University of Oxford – had engaged in “illegal folly” with Ugandan deputy high commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa in which they conspired to arrange for the young woman to come to the UK.

Prosecutors at Oxford Crown Court say Mugambe took ‘advantage of her status’ over her victim in the ‘most egregious way’ (PA)

Prosecutors said the pair participated in a “very dishonest” trade-off, in which Mr Mugerwa arranged for the Ugandan High Commission to sponsor the woman’s entrance into the UK in exchange for Mugambe attempting to speak to a judge who was in charge of legal action Mr Mugerwa was named in.

Mugambe’s trial heard she had the intention of “obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself”.

Mugambe denied forcing the young Ugandan woman to do household chores and said she “always” treated her with love, care and patience.

The young woman Mugambe tricked into coming to the UK, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court previously she felt “lonely” and “stuck” after her working hours were limited.

According to her UN profile page, Mugambe was appointed to the body’s judicial roster in May 2023 – three months after police were called to her address in Oxfordshire.