A married couple accused of prostitution and human trafficking has had a conviction quashed for a second time on appeal. Robert Attila Majlat, 42 and Attilane Majlat, 37, both Hungarian, had been placed under police surveillance and were subsequently prosecuted following information from British authorities about their suspected involvement in a prostitution ring. During the court proceedings, one of the alleged victims explained how she had been “bought” from her old pimp by Mr Majlat when she was 19 years old. Maljat would take her along with him on his trips abroad, she said, forcing her to work as a prostitute wherever they went. Another victim testified about how she had been lured to Malta by the promise of a better life that would enable her to regain custody of her children, who had been taken away from her because of her involvement in prostitution. She used to offer her services at a St Paul’s Bay apartment, charging some €100 an hour, and claimed to have lived in fear of the Majlat couple who used to shout at her and sometimes even hit her. In 2019, the couple were declared guilty by a Magistrates’ Court and condemned to a 12-year jail term each. However, the...
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