Three women from Colombia have been sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for four years and fined €250 after the court found them guilty of prostitution and operating a brothel in their home. 

The three women, aged between 28 and 40, came to Malta legally to study English but throughout their journey they had to quarantine in Turkey, then again in Malta, the court heard.

In order to afford to pay the unexpected expenses, the women sought to advertise themselves on online sites to attract clients. They were offering their services from an apartment in St Julian’s.

After on-site surveillance, the police entered the apartment and found one of the women with a client.

The police spoke to the client, who said that he paid €80 for a service. A number of sexual devices were also found in the apartment.