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

• (#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.
   
• (#5) Loreta Was Forced Into Sex Work As A Teenager

  According to Equality Now, social workers removed Loreta and her 13 brothers and sisters from a negligent home environment. At a young age, she and her siblings were shipped off to Lithuanian state homes across the country, and she lost track of her family.

  Soon after she arrived at the state home, a man posing as her godfather visited Loreta. He began visiting her repeatedly. The other kids told her she was fortunate, and she initially agreed, until her “godfather” assaulted her at the age of 13. At 15, the state sent her to live with him.

  A young madam named Dana, posing as Loreta's sister, courted the 16-year-old. The 21-year-old befriended the teen with promises of fun before luring Loreta and her friends into a life of forced prostitution. For two years, Loreta lived with Dana before the madam sold her to a pimp in Ravenna, Italy.

  In Italy, she was forced to have sex with clients in the public restrooms within a 15-minute window. It wasn’t until she happened to have a client that spoke Lithuanian that Loreta dared beg for help. The john took Loreta and some of her friends to the Italian police. They helped get her some documentation and return back home.
   
• (#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.
   
• (#6) Cristopher Paid $5,000 Only To Be Sold Into Indentured Servitude

  "Cristopher" grew up in the Philippines but wanted to live and work in the United States. When a recruiter proposed an opening at a hotel in the Appalachians, Cristopher happily paid $5,000 for the opportunity to travel to the US and live his dream.

  According to the Polaris Project, Christopher quickly discovered that the job opportunity was a farce after he arrived. He was bused to a Gulf State against his will - a three-day journey without food or water. Once at his destination, he was forced to work 18-hour days cleaning hotels for a pittance.

  Concerned that the recruiter would retaliate against his family back in the Philippines for the initial debt, Christopher sought assistance from the non-profit.
   
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  (#10) Alma’s Brother Set Her Down The Path To Sex Trafficking Work

  In 1984, Alma left her hometown of Manila to move to Olongapo City because her brother offered to pay for her education. When she arrived, her brother confessed that he was simply hoping to use her to hook a “rich American” from the nearby military base who might help support Alma’s family.

  Alma refused and instead was forced to take a job as a waitress. According to Equality Now, the bar owner allowed US military and other visitors to pay a “bar-fine” in order to have sex with the establishment's waitresses. Alma was offended, but the bar owner threatened to fire her and withhold her documentation if she didn’t let the men sleep with her. 

  For fear that her children might go hungry, Alma agreed, taking her first step down a path of forced prostitution. She was in bondage for three years until she joined a support group and escaped.
• (#11) Natalie Found No Solace In A Legal Brothel

  When she was 20, Natalie moved to a large city in her native Southeast Asian country. She didn’t know anyone and ended up sleeping in a bus stop. An act of kindness from a stranger, however, allowed Natalie to get a job and a room in a hostel.

  According to Equality Now, one of the friends Natalie made at the hostel took her out to dinner with a stranger. At first, things were fine. Then the friend who’d brought her said he’d gotten a phone call and left the restaurant. When he didn’t come back, the stranger offered to let Natalie wait for her friend at a nearby hotel. The hotel turned out to be a brothel. Natalie had been sold into slavery.

  After a few months, Natalie managed to run away, taking a job in a legal brothel in Australia. There, she was told that she was in debt to the brothel for more than $6,000, arrears that just grew larger over time. She was allowed only three hours of sleep each night, and she wasn’t allowed to turn down any customers. She worked for seven more years until she was able to escape the industry. 
   

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