PHILIPSBURG--A preliminary hearing in the so-called “Papegaai” case involving exploitation of women, human trafficking and deprivation of liberty at Casa Blanca brothel in Oyster Pond will be taking place April 14, it was decided Wednesday at the Court of First Instance.

 

Casa Blanca owner C.P. and three of the managers were arrested on November 16, 2015, on suspicion of human trafficking. Together with two other suspects they will be standing trial on May 25.

 

In the investigation, the local Prosecutor’s Office intensively cooperated with the Prosecutor’s Office of the Dominican Republic. Three main suspects were arrested on suspicion of exploitation of mainly women from the Dominican Republic and a fourth suspect was arrested later for firearm possession. House searches were also part of the investigation.

 

The Chief Prosecutor of St. Maarten requested the Minister of Justice to suspend Casa Blanca’s business licence while awaiting further criminal investigation and the verdict.

 

Suspects D.J.E. (31), J.P. R. (44) and A.T.M.R. (38) were led in front of the Judge on Wednesday. During the hearing, Prosecutor Maarten Noordzij said that all suspects are charged with involvement in human trafficking between January 1, 2010, and November 16, 2015, and with deprivation of the liberty of female workers at Casa Blanca in said period. J.P.R. and A.T.M.R. were both also charged with illegal firearm possession.

 

The Prosecutor called upon the Court to postpone the hearing until a later date because the investigations into this case are still in full swing. Digitized documents still need to be read and 12 witnesses, -mainly ex-workers who allegedly were abused-, still need to be heard.

 

The main hearing in this case will be taking place on May 25. Most likely, two other suspects will be joining those already mentioned during the full-day hearing, the Prosecutor announced without providing any additional information.

Considering the serious allegations against her clients J.P.R. and A.T.M.R., attorney Shaira Bommel requested the hearing of a number of witnesses, including Casa Blanca’s marketing manager and three security officers who worked in the establishment.

 

The Prosecutor objected to these hearings, as the case file already includes no fewer than 35 statements of former employees, stating they were lured to St. Maarten under false pretence, held against their will and forced to have paid sex with customers.

 

Bommel countered that more than 2,000 women had been employed at Casa Blanca over the years, and not just these 35 women who had given their statements. The lawyer also said she wanted to hear the alleged “mediators” between the brothel and the women, who were mainly recruited in the Dominican Republic.

 

Bommel and her colleague Sjamira Roseburg both called upon the court to have their clients’ pre-trial detention suspended or lifted altogether. Bommel said her clients are already detained for three months and claimed there was insufficient evidence of malpractice to warrant their prolonged detention. According to the lawyer, the women were not held against their will, as they had been in possession of the brothel’s keys and access passes.

 

“The investigations encompass four years but the evidence of my clients’ involvement in human smuggling is not hard enough. The Prosecutor’s cases against my clients are based on guesswork,” Bommel claimed.

 

Roseburg said her client, who was held on November 19, 2015, was not part of Casa Blanca’s management.

The Prosecutor said the suspects should remain behind bars as the witnesses had extensively testified about the deprivation of liberty, a fine system, debts of up to US $3,000 because of unreasonable cost, which they had to pay off by having sex with customers against a $50 fee, and about threats of violence, extortion and misleading, exploitation and human trafficking.

 

The Judge did not lift the pre-trial detention as there are sufficient indications in the case file, among which are labour contracts, as evidence of suspects’ involvement in serious crimes.

 

The Daily Herald