Three people appeared in court today charged with turning the home where serial killers Fred and Rose West began their murder spree into a – BROTHEL.
Undercover police busted an alleged sex gang responsible for trafficking girls from Eastern Europe and forcing them into prostitution at the notorious house of horrors in Gloucester.
The trio are accused of using 25 Midland Road – where Fred Wests’ step-daughter Charmaine, eight, was murdered and buried under the kitchen floor – as their rented sex slave HQ.
The Met Police today confirmed three people had been charged with a variety of offences, including conspiracy to traffick for sexual exploitation and prostitution.
Three others were also being held in the Czech Republic after a seven-month undercover operation ended in a series of raids by police.
A police source confirmed: ”Although we do not believe it was the main address, one woman claims she was raped at the house in Midland Road.
”We believe it was used as a holding house for these women.”
Police fear more than 40 women, some aged just 18, were trafficked into the UK with the promise of jobs or cash for agreeing to sham marriages.
But once taken to Midland Road they were allegedly forced to become prostitutes – working in London, the Midlands and Bradford, West Yorks.
Sources claimed the prostitutes could each make the gang up to £3,000-a-week, and victims were punished with rape and sexual assault if they resisted.
The gang is alleged to have raked in another £4,000 for each sham marriage.
Midland Road in 1994
But they were brought down when one brave victim who escaped and reported her rape ordeal.
Police arrested three people in Gloucester and South London, including Ludmila Nistorova, 52, suspected of acting as brothel madam in Gloucester.
Her son, 28, was believed to be one of three men held in the Czech city of Liberec.
She appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates Court today charged with three counts of conspiracy to traffick into the UK for exploitation and sexual exploitation.
Nistorova also faces two other counts of conspiracy with others to control prostitution for gain and conspiracy to facilitate commission of a breach of UK immigration law.
Iveta Viragova, 43, and Votjech Virag, 25, both from Nutwell Street, south west London appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates Court charged with the same offences.
A police source said: ”Most of the women were vulnerable.
”The network approached them and promised good jobs or a ‘rest’ from their troubled lives if they came over.
”But they were then traded around British brothels, sexually assaulted or raped. It was horrific.
”When the gang picked their HQ, it was pure coincidence that it turned out to be an address associated with so much suffering.”
Rose West murdered her husband’s stepdaughter Charmaine – the daughter of Fred West ‘s wife and victim – at 25 Midland Road in 1971.
Her skeleton was dug up when the Wests were arrested over 11 more murders in 1994 at their new house of horrors – nearby 25 Cromwell Street.
Rose West, now 57, is serving life for ten murders. Fred West, who was charged with 12 murders, committed suicide in prison in 1995 aged 53.
The owner of 25 Midland Road, farmer Peter Radley, 71, said he had no reason to suspect illegal activity at the property.
This isn’t THE Fred West house, he House of Horrors – that was demolished- it’s another house where he lived. The story’s a bit misleading.
Either way if its misleading or what ! Fred west is SCUM ! and we should not forget what he did !
The only justice for the familys of the people he killed is to know hes not walking the streets today and is where he should be in HELL where he belongs …
unfortunatly there will be more sick bxstards like him to come and cause misery to people.
It would be nice if Peter Radley took more interest in his property and invested in making it look less like a dump and maybe we can attract a better type of tenant into the area.