A SENIOR garda claimed in court yesterday that a young Nigerian woman spent some time in Co Tipperary during a period when she claimed to have continually been held captive by sex traffickers at a location in Castlebar, Co Mayo.
Insp Michael Murray also said the woman, who claims to be Edith Orumwenes, was known to gardaí in Clonmel by another name.
Ms Orumwenes has been in prison for 10 weeks after being arrested in Castlebar. She was being held under the Immigration Act 2004 for not having travel documents.
Objecting to bail for Ms Orumwenes, Insp Murray said there was no evidence to back up her claim that she was a victim of sex traffickers.
The woman has said she fled Nigeria in order to avoid an arranged marriage and was coerced under false pretences into coming to Ireland.
She claims she was held prisoner in a house in Castlebar where she was forced into having sex with men but managed to escape. Afterwards she was arrested by gardaí.
At Castlebar District Court yesterday Insp Murray told Judge Mary Devins the woman had complied with a request made by the judge at Ballina Court last week that she provide fingerprints and identify the location in Castlebar where she had been held. The fingerprints had been forwarded to Interpol, the witness explained.
Insp Murray said the woman had identified two places in Castlebar where she claimed to have been held.
One was a house which was found to be occupied. Another was a student accommodation block which had 62 apartments. Ms Orumwenes had not been definitive that this was the building where she had been held.
When shown a photo, other tenants of the apartments did not recognise her.
Judge Devins remanded the defendant in custody to Ballinrobe Court (sitting in Castlebar) tomorrow when Garda witnesses will be available to provide evidence.
Representatives from Ruhama, the voluntary group involved with women involved in sex trafficking, attended court yesterday and held a watching brief in the matter. Ruhama has been strongly critical of the woman’s detention in custody.