It’s a big scandal.
Lydia Mugambe, a 49-year-old Ugandan and a former judge with ties to the U.N. Criminal Tribunal, was convicted in the U.K. for her involvement in human trafficking and modern slavery. A jury at Oxford Crown Court unanimously found her guilty of several charges, including violating immigration laws, forcing a person into compulsory labor, intimidating a witness, and arranging travel for exploitation. Mugambe, who lived in Kidlington, England, used her legal expertise and position of power to exploit a vulnerable woman, forcing her into domestic servitude.
Mugambe’s background includes significant work in human rights advocacy, having been a High Court judge in Uganda and a fellow at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. She had also received recognition for her work on gender-based justice and was involved with several prestigious organizations, including the Oxford Human Rights Hub. However, her public persona clashed sharply with her actions behind the scenes, as she used her influence to enslave a young woman brought to the U.K. under false pretenses.
The investigation began in February 2023 when Thames Valley Police received a tip about a woman being held as a slave in Mugambe’s residence. The victim had traveled to the U.K. under the assumption she would work for the Ugandan Embassy’s deputy high commissioner, John Mugerwa, but instead was forced into domestic labor without pay. Mugambe confiscated the victim’s passport, visa card, and phone, isolating her and preventing her from seeking help.
Mugerwa, who allegedly conspired with Mugambe to facilitate the victim’s visa, was implicated in the scheme but avoided prosecution due to diplomatic immunity, which his government chose not to waive. Despite her experience as a judge and lawyer, Mugambe exploited the victim for her own gain, knowing full well the legal implications of her actions. Authorities emphasized that Mugambe attempted to leverage her professional affiliations to escape accountability, but her crimes ultimately led to her conviction for modern slavery.
