Australian Court Hears Bail Request for Woman Accused of Enslaving Teen in Syria

A Melbourne court heard arguments Friday on whether a woman facing two slavery charges should be released on bail while awaiting trial. Her lawyer told the court the woman would accept electronic monitoring and religious counseling if freed. The conditions would include wearing an ankle bracelet and phone surveillance under a control order.

The woman would live with her daughter at her uncle's Melbourne home. Her uncle told the court he opposed the Islamic State group. The lawyer also said the woman would participate in a police-run counseling program aimed at countering violent extremism.

Two police officers testified that control orders cannot replace or supplement bail conditions. One officer said electronic monitoring would not reduce the risk posed by the accused. The officer cited unknown details about the woman's ideology after more than a decade under Islamic State control.

The charges stem from allegations that a Yazidi teenager was enslaved in the woman's family home in Raqqa, Syria, in 2017 and 2018. The woman and her mother returned to Australia last month from a Syrian refugee camp. The case is scheduled to resume June 15 with further witness testimony.