An elderly woman yesterday appeared in a Barbados court charged in connection with the alleged trafficking of five Guyanese women.
Joan Fernandez, 76, of Eagle Hall, St Michael was remanded to prison after she was reportedly unable to make bail since her surety was insufficient. She made her first appearance in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court and will return to the District ‘B’ Magistrates’ Court on May 6.
This is the second such human trafficking case involving Guyanese women to have reached the Barbados courts within the last week.
Amelia Joseph, 36, of Waterhall Land, Eagle Hall, St Michael, and Keenon Chase, 22, of King William Street, The City appeared in court last Monday and Tuesday to face a total of 30 charges which includes managing a brothel and living on the earnings therefrom.
Joseph and Chase were arrested by the newly formed Sex Crimes and Trafficking Unit of the Royal Barbados Police Force. This followed a police operation on April 18 at a bar along Nelson Street, Bridgetown, where five female Guyanese nationals, aged between 17 and 21 were found and removed. They were all dressed in bathing suits when they were found.
Among some of the other charges Chase faced were harbouring five female Guyanese nationals, while Joseph faced charges of forced labour and confiscation of the travel documents of the five women.
Joseph, who is pregnant, was granted $30 000 bail while Chase was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds.
These cases have raised questions as to whether there is an organized human trafficking ring. Souces told this newspaper yesterday that Barbadian officials are working with counterparts in Guyana to find the answers.
The Guyanese women, Stabroek News was told, are being held at a safe location.
