Eighteen people have been arrested in Málaga (12), Madrid (3), León (2) and Sevilla (1) in connection with an organisation exploiting African women through prostitution.
The women were lured to Spain with the promise of furthering their education in Europe, the cost being borne by the organisation as a favour to the families of the women. However, once in Europe following a convoluted journey and requiring false papers of varying types, the organisation demanded that the women repay the costs of their journey, usually between €50,000 and €55,000, by engaging in prostitution.
Using beatings, sexual assaults and voodoo threats against their families, the women were forced into prostitution to pay their ‘debts’. Fines were levied on the women if they failed to make repayments on time.
The investigation into the organisation began in July 2011 after one of the women, a Nigerian national, made a formal complaint.
Some of those brought to Spain were involved in sham marriages to legalise their status in the country.