University of Oxford law student found guilty of forcing a woman to work as a slave
The victim did the student’s cleaning and childcare for her
Lydia Mugambe has been convicted of forcing someone to work as a slave for her while she was a student at the University of Oxford.
She was found guilty at Oxford Crown Court of facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness.
Mugambe joined Pembroke College at the University of Oxford in 2020. She studied for a DPhil in law, the Oxford equivalent of a PhD. During this time, she forced a young woman to do cleaning, domestic chores and childcare for her. Mugambe did not pay this woman, but promised she would help her with a court case in Uganda.
Chief Superintendent Ben Clark from Thames Valley Police said: “Mugambe used her position of power as well as her knowledge of the law to take advantage of the victim, ensuring that she would become her unpaid domestic servant.”
Pembroke College at the University of Oxford
(Credit: Andrew Shiva via Creative Commons)
In February 2023, Thames Valley Police received a report that Mugambe was holding a woman as a slave. The police discovered that the woman did have a visa to work in the UK, but at the Ugandan Embassy in London. Mugambe paid for the woman’s plane ticket to the UK and picked her up from the airport. The woman never worked at the embassy, but became Mugambe’s slave.
The court heard Mugambe had the aim of “obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself”.
The young woman told the court she felt “lonely” and “stuck”.
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The Thames Valley Police arrested Mugambe at her home in Kidlington, a village just outside of Oxford. Mugambe said: “I came here as a student. I don’t need anyone to work for me. I didn’t come with her, she asked me because she has worked at my home before.”
Mugambe claimed that because she was a United Nations judge and a High Court judge in Uganda, she had diplomatic immunity.
Chief Superintendent Ben Clark explained: “After the offences had been reported to the police, Mugambe tried to evade justice by repeatedly claiming she had diplomatic immunity due to her status. Any immunity Mugambe may have enjoyed as a UN judge has been waived by the Office of the United Nations Secretary General.”
Mugambe has been held in custody since August 2024.
She was the Treasure of Pembroke College’s Middle Common Room (MCR) and was involved with the university’s Oxford Human Rights Hub.
Mugambe will be sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on 2nd May.
For more news about UK universities, like The Tab on Facebook.
Featured image of Pembroke College by via Creative Commons. Featured image of Lydia Mugambe via her LinkedIn.
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