The lawyer for a British model allegedly abducted in Milan by kidnappers who sought to auction her as a sex slave online has refuted suggestions that his client acted as an “accomplice.”
Chloe Ayling, 20, told Italian police she was attacked by two men in Milan while attending a photo shoot last month. She said she was drugged, stuffed into a bag and driven 120 miles to an isolated village near Turin.
The mother-of-one’s captor allegedly released her after six days and took her to the British consulate in Milan.
It has since emerged that Ayling, from south London, went shopping for groceries and shoes with her kidnapper, prompting questions about whether the pair may have collaborated in a fake kidnapping.
Ayling’s lawyer, Francesco Pesce, says she went along with her captor’s wishes to avoid conflict, claiming she was under constant supervision by members of a criminal gang.
“She was told that she was going to be sold to somebody in the Middle East for sex,” he told Radio 4.
WATCH: Chloe travelled to Milan, Italy, thinking she was going to a photo shoot. Post continues…
“She was told that people were there watching her and ready to kill her if she tried anything.”
“So she thought that the best idea was to go along with it and to be nice in a way to her captor because he told her that he wanted to release her somehow and some time and she thought that the best thing to do was not to go in conflict with him.”
“So she abided to his request, ‘let’s go and buy groceries’ and ‘you need shoes, let’s go buy shoes’ and she didn’t try to flee.”
He added: “But I believe she was terrified at the moment and even if she could’ve asked for help she didn’t because she was subjugated to this person, or people as she was given to understand.”
A police press conference in Milan named her captor as Lukasz Herba, 30, who is accused of trying to sell her on the internet for A$445,000 through bitcoin.
He was reportedly found with a Black Death pamphlet, an online criminal organisation, which offers sexual services of women for auction.
The contents were released by police in Italy: “Girls can be transported globally, we have contractors for that, for a price… EU delivery is free, might take time dependant on current location and drop-off point,” the pamphlet read.
Shockingly, Ayling’s details were allegedly being advertised: “Born in UK; Abducted in Italy; Held in Germany; 19 year old; Caucasian; 34DD-25-35; Beginner model; Starting bid $300,000. Auction takes place 16.7.2017”.
Polish-born Lukasz Herba.
Speaking outside her London home, Ayling told reporters:
“I’ve been through a terrifying experience. I’ve feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour,” she said.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release.
“I have just arrived home after four weeks and haven’t had time to collect my thoughts. I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police.”
More as we get it.
