A woman, who was allegedly trafficked and required to work as a prostitute, said she often kept a knife to defend herself from violent clients.
The woman told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that “the men in Tralee were violent” and that she was moved to a different rural town every week.
She was testifying in the trial of Natalia Nogueira Da Silva and Ivanilce (Lisa) Vailones Fidelis.
Ms Da Silva of Drumlish, Co Longford has pleaded not guilty to one count of human trafficking a woman at an unknown location within the State on dates between March 31st and May 18th, 2019.
She pleaded guilty to one count of organising prostitution, 33 counts of money laundering, and one count of facilitating entry into the State of a person she knew to be illegal.
Ms Vailones Fidelis of Castle Manor, Racecourse Road, Roscommon has pleaded not guilty to all 18 counts against her including human trafficking, money laundering and one count of organising prostitution.
A 35-year-old woman, who was allegedly trafficked and required to work as a prostitute, told the court she kept a knife close to the bed after being beaten up by a client in Portarlington.
She said when she was in Tralee, the men there were quite violent, “they wanted to break in or steal things”, so she and another girl had to be watching out all the time.
The complainant also described how a man tried to break into the house in Enniscorthy where she was staying on her own.
The State alleges the two accused trafficked two vulnerable Brazilian women for the purposes of exploiting them and taking advantage of their vulnerability to such an extent as to cause them to have no real or acceptable alternative but to submit to being trafficked.
The prosecution alleges that the two alleged victims found themselves in a debt bondage situation.
The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury.
