A woman working as a prostitute today told a court that she was treated like a slave by the husband and wife who allegedly ran a Gzira brothel.
The woman, Marie Louise Magro, said she even had to ask for permission whenever she needed to go to the toilet.
“I used to work and sleep in the same room, if you can call that living,” she told the court.
Theresa Cutajar, 60, and her husband Mohamed Saad, 25 are accused of running the brothel.
In her testimony, Magro said she fled the brothel “with just the clothes on my back” after a two month stay. Magro said she was homeless prior to joining the brothel, and Cutajar offered to let her stay at her Gzira home.
Initially, Cutajar used to cook for her and treat her respectfully, but after three weeks the insults and threats began.
“I even had to ask for her permission to take a shower. I did not pay rent daily. For every client I gave €5 to Theresa. Before doing the deed I used to have to pay her. She set the €5 rate. There was no fixed rate for how much I charged clients.”
Magro said the two accused used to coerce her into paying them money for washing her clothes and providing her with food and drinks.
Spiridiona Caruana, who has been conditionally discharged for two years working at the brothel, told the court that she also used to pay the accused €5 for every client.
Caruana said she never actively solicited clients.
“They would stop and see me. Black people were not allowed into the brothel.”
Under cross examination, Caruana said she used to prostitute herself at the brothel out of her own free will.
A third witness, Lucienne Mallia, who rented out a room from the accused, said she was charged €20 daily for the room in Gzira.
“I was working at a flat for Theresa. She was always demanding money from me. I never actually lived there. I have a family and a home. Theresa always wanted a commission, but I cannot earn money like this. Sometimes I could not keep up. She used to charge me €5 for a dozen condoms.”
Mallia said she used to work a five hour shift on rotation with three or four other girls.
Inspector Jason Francis Sultana is prosecuting.
The case continues on Friday.