Courts / Westmeath / Report
Landmark case sees jail sentences increased for forced prostitution after 'voodoo ceremony'
Summary
The Court of Appeal has increased jail sentences for two women convicted in Ireland's first human trafficking case involving alleged voodoo ceremonies. Alicia Edosa and Edith Enoghaghase, originally sentenced in September 2021 following a June 2021 trial at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court, were found guilty of trafficking women between 2016 and 2018. Evidence indicated victims underwent ceremonies in Nigeria before being coerced into prostitution across multiple locations including Castlebar, Letterkenny and Cavan. Mr Justice George Birmingham rejected their conviction appeals and found original sentences substantially inadequate. Edosa, formerly of Mullingar, has been re-sentenced to seven-and-a-half years imprisonment. Enoghaghase, also formerly of Mullingar, received seven years and one month. The judge noted the sentencing judge faced unprecedented circumstances with no comparative guidelines for this offence type. Alicia Edosa pleaded not guilty. Edith Enoghaghase pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Landmark case sees jail sentences increased for forced prostitution after 'voodoo ceremony'. Charges or matters: two counts of trafficking women around Ireland on dates between September 2016 and June 2018. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- September 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- June 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- June 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2023-02-20 Publication
Why: Mr Justice Birmingham said the court would dismiss the conviction appeals on the grounds of missing evidence because it amounted to "pure speculation" on whether or not the missing text messages were "exculpatory" in nature. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: two counts of trafficking women around Ireland on dates between September 2016 and June 2018 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: Mr Justice Birmingham said "we are satisfied that the sentences actually imposed in this case did represent a substantial departure from what we consider would have been the appropriate sentences in the circumstances". "In fairness to the sentencing judge, he was faced with having to sentence for a new type of offence in the absence of any comparator guidelines of appellate court guidance," said Mr Justice Birmingham. "While we have expressed disagreement with his calibration of the gravity of the respondents' offending conduct, we think it important to say that our recording of such disagreem Edosa, formerly of Market Point, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was also found guilty of 34 counts of money laundering offences, contrary to Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2020 and was originally jailed for five years and eight months overall.
Convicted Person
Charges: two counts of trafficking women around Ireland on dates between September 2016 and June 2018 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: However, they were found guilty of the charges following a 25-day trial at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court in June 2021 and sentenced in September of that year by Judge Francis Comerford. Enoghaghase, formerly of Meeting House Lane, Mullingar, was also convicted of four counts of money laundering and was originally jailed for five years and one month.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Mullingar
- Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court
- Mullingar
- Meeting House Lane
- Meeting House
Topics
Related court reports
- Brothers who sexually assaulted teenage girls in mid-nineties can now be identified for first time
- Retired Franciscan brother jailed for 11 years for raping boy
- Ukrainian man left with serious head injury after unprovoked fire extinguisher attack
- 'Try not to let me down': judge cuts phone thief's sentence
- Man who attacked vulnerable brother in bid to 'drain' his blood is committed to Central Mental Hospital
- 'Terrible shroud of sadness': jury takes just 32 mins to find mentally ill man not guilty of trying to murder brother
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request