Courts / Dublin / Report

Nigerian woman who falsely claimed she had been trafficked to work as prostitute is jailed

Date
2025-04-09

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

A Nigerian woman has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to making false statements to gardaí. The 34-year-old woman arrived at Store Street Garda Station in October 2019 claiming she had been trafficked to Ireland and forced into prostitution. Over subsequent months, she provided five statements detailing her alleged captivity in Balbriggan. Gardaí conducted an extensive investigation spanning hundreds of hours, including searches of the area and CCTV analysis. Investigation ultimately revealed the account was fabricated. Handwriting experts linked documentation found in her hostel accommodation and a discovered diary to the woman. Evidence from bank records and CCTV footage contradicted her narrative. The woman, previously resident in Carrickmacross, Monaghan, pleaded guilty to three counts of knowingly making false statements between October 2019 and December 2020. Judge Ronan Munro described her actions as premeditated and calculated, noting they diverted resources from genuine victims and undermined legitimate trafficking complaints.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Nigerian woman who falsely claimed she had been trafficked to work as prostitute is jailed. Charges or matters: three charges of knowingly making a false statement on dates between October 2019 and December 2020 at Store Street Garda Station. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

October 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
December 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
March 2021 Other
January 2022 Incident
2025-04-09 Publication

Why: Emmanuel said she had been told that the prostitution was necessary as she was now in debt to others because of the cost of her travelling to Ireland. CNI source report

Case subjects

Unnamed woman

Convicted Person

Charges: three charges of knowingly making a false statement on dates between October 2019 and December 2020 at Store Street Garda Station (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: A Nigerian woman who falsely claimed she had been trafficked into Ireland and forced to work as a prostitute has been jailed. "The gardaí put many hours into investigating the crime in an attempt to rescue other potential victims. Before sentence was imposed today, Emmanuel made a statement outlining her deepest remorse for her actions.