Witness unavailable in trial involving woman who worked in sex trade in Laois

A human trafficking trial has been adjourned to tomorrow due to one of the complainants in the trial becoming unavailable.

The first complainant in the trial of Natalia Nogueira Da Silva and Ivanilce (Lisa) Vailones Fidelis has been giving her evidence through an interpreter and via video link at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

It is alleged two women were trafficked into the State and required to work in the sex industry in locations in rural Ireland, including in Portarlington, where the first complainant alleges she was assaulted by a man. 

Defence counsel was due to resume cross-examining the woman today but Judge Patricia Ryan told the jury the witness was unavailable and may be unavailable “in excess of a week”.

The judge sent the jury home for the day, with the trial expected to resume tomorrow afternoon.

The State alleges that the two accused women trafficked two vulnerable Brazilian women for the purposes of exploiting them and taking advantage of their vulnerability “to such an extent as to cause the trafficked person to have no real or acceptable alternative but to submit to being trafficked”.

Ms Vailones Fidelis (46) of Castle Manor, Racecourse Road, Roscommon, has denied all 18 charges against her, including two counts of human trafficking, one count of organising prostitution and money laundering charges on dates between 2015 and 2020.

Ms Da Silva (32), of Cairn Hill View, Drumlish, Co Longford, has admitted 35 charges including organising prostitution, facilitating the entry into the state of an illegal person and money laundering. She has denied a single charge of human trafficking in 2019.