A witness testified this morning about how she was treated 'like a sex slave'by a couple from whom she rented a room in Gzira.

Three prostitutes this morning testified about how a 60-year-old woman, Theresa Cutajar and her 25-year-old husband Elmleti Saad charged them €20 a day to rent a room to carry out their trade.

They stand accused of running a brothel in Enrico Mizzi Street in Gzira.

One of them women, Mary Louise Magro, from Ġzira, said that she had gone to the Sliema police station after leaving Tereza Cutajar after two months living there.

“I had nothing except the clothes on my back” she said adding that the accused would charge her exaggerated prices for things. Once Ms Cutajar tried to sell her two outfits for €30 and charged her €5 for condoms.

She did not have a rate for sexual services but would take whatever the clients would offer.

“I was practically a sex slave” she said adding that she even had to ask permission to use the toilet. Ms Magro said she ended up there because she was homeless.

At first everything seemed fine and Ms Cutajar woud even cook for her but it soon changed and Ms Cutajar would call her names while her husband would act threateningly towards her.

Ms Cutajar had established a rate of pay where she demanded €5 for every man she slept with. Her husband would keep watch to see how many men were actually going in.

Taking the witness stand, Spiridiona Caruana, said she was arraigned and charged over prostituting herself and she was conditionally discharged. She said she used to work from the home of the accused. She said she needed money and she was offered place to work from there.

She said she had met Ms Cutajar when out walking. She spent a few months working there but she did not live there and would go for a few hours every day. She was picky about the clients and blacks were never allowed in.

Testifying, Lucienne Mallia, complained at the way Ms Cutajar and her husband treated her as they would always press her for rent money.

“As soon as a client would come in she would start ringing the bell and demanding money”. The rent was €20 a day for a room which was very hard to pay. She would charge her €5 for condoms on top of the rent money. On one occasion, Ms Cutajar pulled her dress up in front of a petrol station.

The case continues.