Convicted of trafficking in women Lucerne brothel manager defends herself in court

A former brothel operator is defending herself against her conviction for human trafficking, pimping and money laundering at the Lucerne cantonal court today, Thursday.

Keystone-SDA

30.01.2025, 05:34

30.01.2025, 05:50

SDA

The criminal court had sentenced the woman to 6 years and 2 months' imprisonment in 2023.

The court of first instance deemed it proven that the now 57-year-old Swiss woman from Thailand had ordered women like interchangeable goods for her establishment and then sexually exploited them. In doing so, she followed the prosecution and received a sentence that was only 3 months less than they had requested.

According to the verdict, the accused exploited the poverty of the Thai women. Because they had to support their families, the women went into debt so that they could come to Switzerland and work. The brothel manager then "ruthlessly" exploited their predicament, the court explained.

No privacy

In the brothel on Baselstrasse, the illegal women lived and worked in miserable conditions and without privacy, according to the ruling. They were not free to set their own prices or working hours and had to serve the clients in a fixed order during the 24-hour operation.

Before the first instance, the defense had demanded a conditional fine as a sanction. His client had not been guilty of human trafficking, pimping or money laundering; she had only violated the legislation on foreign nationals.

The defense lawyer explained at the trial of first instance that the women had known what they were getting into in Switzerland. The brothel was a normal business organized according to the laws of capitalism. There are rules in every workplace, including the brothel. He described the establishment as a normal workplace.