A senior United Nations judge has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for forcing a young Ugandan woman to work unpaid as a domestic servant in her home in the UK.
Lydia Mugambe, 50, who also serves as a High Court judge in Uganda, was convicted of modern slavery offences in March and sentenced on Friday at Oxford Crown Court.
At the time of the offences, Mugambe was studying for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford. The court heard that she brought the woman to the UK under false pretences, subjecting her to months of forced labour in her home in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
‘Showed Absolutely No Remorse’
Judge David Foxton, who presided over the trial, condemned Mugambe for her lack of accountability.
“You showed absolutely no remorse,” he told her during sentencing. “You sought instead to forcibly blame the victim for what happened.”
Body-worn camera footage played during the trial showed Mugambe attempting to assert diplomatic privilege during her arrest. “I even have immunity,” she told officers.
Fraudulent Visa Arrangement
According to prosecutors, Mugambe arranged for a visa under the pretense that the woman would work as a paid domestic worker at a London diplomatic residence. In reality, she was made to serve Mugambe in a private capacity with no compensation.
The visa was sponsored by John Mugerwa, Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner in the UK. Prosecutors argued that Mugerwa knowingly participated in the deception, allegedly in exchange for legal assistance from Mugambe in a separate Ugandan court case.
While the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against Mugerwa, he could not be prosecuted due to diplomatic immunity, which the Ugandan government refused to waive.
Life in ‘Constant Fear’
In a victim impact statement read out in court, the woman said she lived in “almost constant fear” due to Mugambe’s powerful status back home.
“I can’t go back to Uganda,” she said, explaining her fear of retribution. “I may never see my mother again.”
Prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC told the court Mugambe had exploited the victim’s lack of awareness around UK employment law and misled her about the purpose of her travel.
“There was a clear and significant imbalance of power within the relationship,” she said.
University and Police Condemn Crime
The University of Oxford, where Mugambe was a doctoral student, issued a statement following the verdict.
“The university is appalled by its student’s crimes,” a spokesperson said. “We are commencing disciplinary proceedings, which may result in expulsion.”
Thames Valley Police welcomed the conviction. Chief Superintendent Ben Clark said, “There is no doubt Mugambe knew she was committing offences. Modern slavery is an underreported crime, and I hope the bravery of the victim encourages others to come forward.”
Mugambe Denies Exploitation
Mugambe denied the allegations, claiming she had treated the woman with “love, care and patience.” However, the jury rejected her defence, finding that the woman had been kept in conditions amounting to slavery.
Despite her previous work in human rights law, Judge Foxton described the case as a “very sad fall from grace.”
