Five people have been arrested in Palma for having attempted to trick a nineteen-year-old Romanian woman into prostitution.
On Friday last week, the woman went to the National Police station at the airport. She had arrived in Spain three days earlier, could not speak Spanish, had no money and her mobile had been smashed. An interpreter was called, and she explained that a couple in Romania had made an offer for her to come to Majorca and work for them and look after their son. She would receive 500 euros a month and accommodation would be included.
It became evident that this wasn't the case. She was told that she had a debt which had to be paid by her becoming a prostitute. She refused to do this. Her mobile and documentation were taken away. She was threatened with physical violence, including been burnt on the face with a cigarette and sexually assaulted by one of her captors.
Four of the five arrested are Romanian; the fifth is Bulgarian. They have been charged with offences against human rights with the aim of sexual exploitation, belonging to a criminal organisation, making threats and causing injury.