Italian Man Convicted of Human Trafficking for Trickling Singaporean Woman into Dubai Sex Work
Quick Look
- An Italian court has convicted Achraf Arjaouy, 31, of human trafficking after finding him guilty of deceiving a Singaporean woman into sex work in Dubai.
- Arjaouy posed as a wealthy Qatari pilot on Tinder and convinced the victim, aged 30-31, to provide sexual services to raise US$10,000 for travel documents.
- He collected her earnings daily until she contracted an STD in mid-September 2021.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
This case highlights the use of online dating platforms for human trafficking schemes, where perpetrators build romantic relationships to exploit victims financially and sexually.
A court has convicted an Italian man of human trafficking by tricking a Singaporean woman into sex work in Dubai, after rejecting his defence arguments attacking the victim.
Achraf Arjaouy, 31, had claimed trial to one count of recruiting a person by means of deception for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Dubai. The victim's identity is protected by a gag order.
The prosecution's case was that Arjaouy had targeted a woman he met on Tinder by pretending to be a wealthy pilot from Qatar who wished to marry her. They argued that Arjaouy told the woman, aged 30 to 31 at the time, to show US$10,000 as proof of funds before she could enter Qatar.
He asked her to provide sexual services in Dubai to raise the money, and collected her earnings daily until she contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD). While the idea of engaging in sex work revolted the woman, she eventually agreed as she thought it was the only way to marry Arjaouy in Qatar.
The woman stopped engaging in sex work in mid-September 2021 after contracting the STD. She returned to Singapore a few months later.
Open Questions
- What was the exact sentence handed to Arjaouy?
- How was the victim identified and rescued?
- Were there other victims involved?
