Random Human Trafficking Survivors Tell Their Heartbreaking Stories (13 items)

• 

  (#7) After Being Arrested For Teenage Prostitution, Erica Was Never Once Asked If She Was In Trouble

  Forced into the world of prostitution at age 14, “Erica” says that human trafficking is shockingly common near the border. Erica maintains having had several interactions with police, but that officials never asked her if she was “a victim.” According to KTSM, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 2,000 calls from Texas in just the first three months of 2017.
  Erica adamantly describes trafficking as problem evident across the county, and not just in El Paso:

  You would never know how many guys are out picking up girls. Girls you might just see walking on the sidewalks, a 14-year-old girl can be out prostituting and you would not know that.

  These days, Erica is working to correct that institutional problem. She believes that if police were more sympathetic to certain “offenders,” authorities could shine a light on human trafficking in the Texas area.
   
• 

  (#2) Mari Had 4 Children Over Her 16 Years Of Forced Prostitution

  Over the course of 16 years, “Mari” was in a relationship with “Darrell,” who fathered her four children. According to the Polaris Project, a non-profit organization that combats trafficking and operates a national hotline, Darrell was abusive in every way: verbally, physically, and sexually. 

  The survivor’s account maintains that Darrell forced Mari to have sex with other men for money. Darrell also recruited an 18-year-old named "Janice" to join his prostitution ring.

  Reportedly, a police officer pulled Darrell’s car over, and the two women were also in the vehicle. The officer noticed that the man had both Mari and Janice’s IDs in his wallet and asked to speak to each of the women privately. The officer realized that they were held against their will and connected the captives to the Polaris Project, leading to their rescue.
   
• 

  (#8) Natalia Wanted An American Education But Ended Up A Slave

  A family living in a remote Ghana village struggled to make the money needed to send their daughter “Natalia” to school. A New Jersey man offered to have Natalia educated in the United States, and her family agreed, happy to send her overseas for the opportunity.

  According to the Polaris Project, Natalia was imprisoned upon her arrival. Over the course of the next six years, she was repeatedly abused, both physically and sexually. She was forced to work 18-hour days cooking and cleaning for her “host” parents and their three children. Not only did the family not enroll Natalia in school, but they refused to even allow her outside.

  Natalia eventually escaped and exposed the goings on to a neighbor, who called the authorities. A month after connecting with Polaris, Natalia was finally able to attend school.
   
• 

  (#3) Phalla’s Grandmother Sold Her Into Prostitution

  Until the age of 20, Phalla lived a relatively normal life in Cambodia. After her father died, with no one to support her family, she was forced to move in with her grandmother. According to Equality Now, a global network that advocates for gender equality and human rights, the grandmother sold Phalla to a brothel two months later. 

  The grandmother reportedly drove the girl to a brothel in the nearby city, Kampong Som, but Phalla was unaware of her grandmother's intentions. At the brothel, Phalla was locked in a room and assaulted several times a day. Her reality for the next several months included being sold from one brothel to another. 

  Then, she met a man who helped her back to her native Cambodia. It seemed like a new lease on life, but she was soon put to work in a karaoke bar, and her employers sold her to foreign tourists for days at a time. When she tried to leave, she was beaten. It took several more months before she was able to gain her captor’s confidence, escape, and turn herself over to authorities.
   
• 

  (#13) Lynette’s Impoverished Upbringing Was Used To Enslave Her

  “Lynette” grew up in a developing country. Although she managed to obtain an education, a large portion of her time was spent working in her home and looking after her younger siblings. When she finished school, Lynette took a job in Qatar in the hopes of sending money back home to her family. 

  Soon after her arrival, Lynette quickly accepted another job in the United States. The opportunity promised room and board, as well as enough money to help support her family. However, the American family immediately stole Lynette’s documentation, preventing her from leaving. 

  Lynette faced physical and emotional abuse, and the family denied her, as well as the other foreign workers, access to adequate food, sleep, clothing, and medical care. The captive workers, with the help of Lynette, escaped the home. The authorities contacted Polaris, which assisted Lynette in obtaining a legal teaching position in the US.
   
• 

  (#4) Sabine Went From Genocide Survivor To Human Trafficking Victim

  As the only surviving member of her family in the wake of the Rwandan genocide, “Sabine” was more than happy to accept an offer working for a wealthy American family. Upon her arrival in the US, the family held the girl captive and made her perfor forced labor. According to the Polaris Project, Sabine had neither a room nor a bed and slept on the floor. 

  It took six months before Sabine was allowed one hour off each Sunday to attend church services. While there, one of her fellow parishioners caught wind of her situation and helped her escape. At first, Sabine’s ordeal had left her traumatized. She was afraid to leave her new apartment or venture in the city alone.

  With the help of a devoted case manager, Sabine is reportedly now able to travel on her own and is learning English as she slowly works to rebuild her life.
   

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking