60 female foreigners freed

The women reappeared before Magistrate Indira Misir Gosein in the Fourth Court.

The magistrate heard from State attorney Daneia Myers that the court did not have an interpretator to continue with the case. The magistrate dismissed all charges against the 60 women. The women were the largest number of foreigners appearing at one time in the local courts for the offence, along with three Trinidadian men charged with managing a brothel in Vistabella near San Fernando.

When the women first appeared they created quite a stir inside and outside the precincts of the courthouse where a large contingent of heavily armed policemen stood guard. The charges stemmed from a raid conducted by police officers at the hotel where the 75 women were arrested in 2013.

The women are between the ages of 18 and 41 years.

The women had first appeared before Magistrate Margaret Alert.

The charge to them that they solicited passers by for prostitution.

The women had all pleaded not guilty to the charges laid by PCs Jason Dailey and Akeel Clarence.

When the magistrate announced that the matters were dismissed some of the women were seen hugging each other.