Two Romanians who told police they were sex workers have walked free from court after officers failed to caution them before their admissions.
Liliana Alexe and Alina Lumbru had been on trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday accused of running a brothel from the city’s St Andrew Street.
It was alleged the pair had been working together from a first floor flat over the period of a month last year.
But yesterday the Crown dropped the charges against them halfway through the case after it emerged police officers had failed to warn them they were being treated as suspects.
During a short trial the court heard evidence from Constables Kim Duncan and Lisa Kerr of the CID specialist crime unit.
Both women said they went to the flat on July 13 last year after they received intelligence that women were being forced into working as escorts.
Constable Duncan said that because there was a risk human trafficking may be operating out of the flat they did not need a warrant.
She told the court that when they arrived they met Alexe, 35, and Lumbru, 22, who allowed them access to the flat.
She said the pair were both asked if they were sex workers, and they said yes.
Constable Duncan said they were then repeatedly asked if they had been forced into the trade and they insisted they were not.
The court heard the women then showed the officers their own personal websites where they advertised their services.
The admissions were made before either woman was cautioned, Constable Duncan said, and Alexe gave written permission for officers to search their flat.
Representing Lumbru, solicitor Paul Barnett argued his client was not aware she was being treated as a suspect when she made the statements and agreed to the flat being searched.
He argued that any admissions should not be considered as evidence.
He said when the officers established that his client and her co accused were not being forced into acting as escorts police should have made them aware of their rights immediately.
Sheriff Margaret Hodge agreed with Mr Barnett and ruled the evidence could not be used in the case.
As a result the Crown decided not to proceed with the trial and the pair walked free.
