A United Nations (UN) human rights judge has been sentenced to prison for keeping a housekeeper as a slave.
Lydia Mugambe, a 50-year-old UN High Court judge from Uganda, was studying for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford when police discovered a young Ugandan woman working unpaid as a maid and nanny in her home.
The court found that Mugambe had fraudulently arranged a visa for the woman, who was supposed to be employed as a private servant at the diplomatic residence of John Mugerwa, Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner in London. Instead, the woman was forced to work in Mugambe’s home in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
Prosecutors revealed that Mugerwa sponsored the victim’s visa, fully aware she would be working in servitude for Mugambe. In exchange, Mugambe was to assist Mugerwa with a separate court case in Uganda. The victim, who remains anonymous, described her ordeal as one filled with fear and a sense of worthlessness, saying, “I should have been treated humanely, not treated as useless or worthless.”
Despite her legal background and previous work in human rights, Mugambe showed no remorse during the trial and even tried to blame the victim for her situation. Judge David Foxton, who sentenced her to six years and four months in prison, called it a “very sad case,” highlighting the contradiction between Mugambe’s professional achievements and her criminal actions.
The University of Oxford, where Mugambe was a student, expressed its shock and has begun disciplinary proceedings that could lead to her removal from the university. The case has also highlighted the issue of modern slavery, which remains underreported. Police officials hope the victim’s courage will encourage others in similar situations to come forward.
