The case started when a Nigerian girl was arrested by the police owing to lack of identification papers in November 2010 in an area of Oslo where street prostitution takes place. She was placed in a child welfare institution, as it was considered that she might be less than 18 years old. The child welfare authorities later informed the police that they suspected her to be a victim of trafficking, and an investigation followed.

The court found that the victim had been living in Nigeria as one of 10 children in a family with a husband and two wives. She was transported by an unknown person from Nigeria to Denmark (through Turkey and Greece) in the summer of 2010, following an agreement between her traffickers and her family. The family and the victim understood that she would work in prostitution in Europe, and that the expenses for the provision of her passport, transportation and accommodation, amounting to € 50.000, would have to be repaid before any money could be sent to the family. Her passport was taken from her in Denmark.

The female defendant, D., then appeared and took the girl to Norway, where she was immediately put to work in street prostitution in Oslo. When the girl complained about the conditions, D. threatened her, stating that her family would be killed if she went to the police. She earned a total of about € 8.000, which she gave to the woman, before being arrested by the police.

After being placed in the child welfare institution, D. called the victim on the phone and demanded that she leave the place and return to work in prostitution. Her family was also contacted to persuade her to return to prostitution. The family then called the girl, instructing her not to mention the woman to the police.

The investigation eventually gave reason to suspect D. of her involvement in the exploitation of the victim. She was living in Spain at the time, and was arrested there and later extradited to Norway, having given birth to a child in prison.