24 months in prison

57-Year-Old Forced Several Women into Prostitution

The defendant stood trial at the Linz Regional Court.(Bild: Andrea Kloimstein, Krone KREATIV)

The charges faced by a 57-year-old Chinese woman at her trial at the Linz Regional Court were serious. At least three fellow Chinese women are alleged to have been forced into prostitution in apartments she rented in Linz, where they were required to serve up to ten clients a day despite being in pain.

The scheme used to lure the heavily indebted women from China to Austria was always the same. They were led to believe that they could work here as massage therapists, kitchen assistants, or caregivers for the elderly and earn good money. In reality, their passports were confiscated, and they were forced into prostitution.

Pimping and Human Trafficking
In Linz, a 57-year-old Chinese woman acted on behalf of the criminal organization. On Tuesday, she stood trial at the Linz Regional Court on charges including human trafficking, pimping, and money laundering. The defendant is alleged to have rented at least four apartments in Linz and Steyregg for the purpose of illegal prostitution and to have arranged for the women to meet clients.

Victims Were Forced to Hand Over Their Passports
“The victims went along with it out of desperation; some had to serve up to ten clients a day and continue working even when they were in pain. Their money was taken from them, leaving them with very little to send to their families in China,” the prosecutor explained.

Defendant Remained Silent on the Charges
The defendant herself exercised her right to remain silent during the trial. According to her attorney, she was “more of a victim than a perpetrator within the mafia-like structures.” “If she were to name those responsible, she would get out, but not get very far.”

“Just a small cog”
After a brief deliberation, the jury panel reached the following verdict: The 57-year-old was definitively sentenced to 24 months in prison as charged, eight of which are mandatory. “The masterminds are in China; the defendant is just a small cog,” the judge stated in the reasoning for the verdict. Since she had already been in pretrial detention since February and the defense attorney’s motion for early release was granted, she was able to leave prison on Thursday.