Trafficking of Venezuelans for prostitution lands woman in jail

Senior Magistrate Leron Daly on Wednesday remanded a 34-year-old Guyanese woman when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to the charge of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
It is alleged that she trafficked four Venezuelans.
Fiona Hopkinson denied the charge which stated that between September 1, 2018, and October 31, 2018, at Club Diamond, Georgetown she harboured and transported four Venezuelan women for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Another charge against Hopkinson detailed that she unlawfully withheld an identification card belonging to one of the women.
According to Police reports, the four women were arrested during a roadblock operation on November 3, 2018 and were taken into custody, where it was discovered they did not have their identification cards.
The foreigners claimed that they were seeking employment when the defendant employed them to work as prostitutes at Club Diamond, Georgetown. They further claimed that Hopkinson was in possession of their identification documents after she took them and promised to return the documents.
Police Prosecutor Sanj Singh objected to bail noting that the defendant has similar pending matters in another court.
Magistrate Daly upheld the prosecution’s submission and remanded Hopkinson to prison. The case will continue on February 6, 2019.