A United Nations judge has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for enslaving a young Ugandan woman in the United Kingdom. 

Lydia Mugambe, aged 50, was found guilty at Oxford Crown Court of various crimes, which included plotting to help breach UK immigration laws, organizing travel with the intention of exploitation, compelling someone to work, and scheming to intimidate a witness.

At the trial, it was revealed that Mugambe exploited her victim, whose identity remains undisclosed due to legal reasons. She coerced the victim into working as a maid and providing unpaid childcare while preventing her from seeking paid employment. Prosecutors emphasized that Mugambe lured the victim to the UK under false pretenses, exploiting her vulnerable situation in an appalling manner.

Prior to her involvement in these offenses, Mugambe held the position of a High Court judge in Uganda and had recently been appointed to the UN’s judicial team in May 2023. During the time of the incidents, she was pursuing a doctoral degree in law at the University of Oxford. Mugambe was apprehended by Thames Valley Police three months before her UN designation. Upon being confronted by law enforcement, Mugambe asserted diplomatic immunity and denied any criminal activities, claiming that the victim had willingly accompanied her.

Sentencing her on Friday, May 2, Judge David Foxton described the case as “very sad” and noted her extensive background in human rights law. However, he emphasized that Mugambe showed no remorse and instead sought to shift blame onto the victim.

In a statement read in court, the victim spoke of living in “almost constant fear” due to Mugambe’s influence in Uganda. She expressed fears for her safety if she were to return home and said she may never see her mother again.

Prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC told the court that Mugambe deliberately deceived the woman to serve her own interests. “She exploited and abused [the woman], taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights to properly paid employment,” Haughey said.