When Sophie was 24, she went on holiday to visit a friend in Italy. Never in her wildest imagination did she expect to be coerced into prostitution by the man she had trusted so completely. This is the brutal and terrifying true story of how she managed to survive.
Sophie was a young British woman who had a close and supportive relationship with her Mum and siblings. An attractive young woman with a good job, she had none of the risk factors that victims of sex trafficking usually have. This is what makes her story even more startling.
It was the careful grooming by a man she had spent four years confiding in that made Sophie so vulnerable. Over the phone, he was a long distance ally, listening patiently to Sophie talk about her everyday ups and downs, giving support and encouragement. He seemed like a best friend. When he suggested that she needed a refreshing break abroad after a relationship break-up, Sophie was only too happy to take his invitation up. But, just before her return home, he told her that she was there for another purpose – to help him repay a debt. His knowledge of her insecurities and weaknesses were now used against her and he forced her into a life working the streets in Italy, Albania, and France.
Far from home and under the control of a violent and merciless man, Sophie lost her sense of self and nearly her life. Luckily, Sophie survived and was reunited with her family. She now works with the organisation Stop the Traffick and hopes that telling her story will raise awareness of human trafficking and its prevalence in every society.
Posted by Spot
Sophie was a young British woman who had a close and supportive relationship with her Mum and siblings. An attractive young woman with a good job, she had none of the risk factors that victims of sex trafficking usually have. This is what makes her story even more startling.
It was the careful grooming by a man she had spent four years confiding in that made Sophie so vulnerable. Over the phone, he was a long distance ally, listening patiently to Sophie talk about her everyday ups and downs, giving support and encouragement. He seemed like a best friend. When he suggested that she needed a refreshing break abroad after a relationship break-up, Sophie was only too happy to take his invitation up. But, just before her return home, he told her that she was there for another purpose – to help him repay a debt. His knowledge of her insecurities and weaknesses were now used against her and he forced her into a life working the streets in Italy, Albania, and France.
Far from home and under the control of a violent and merciless man, Sophie lost her sense of self and nearly her life. Luckily, Sophie survived and was reunited with her family. She now works with the organisation Stop the Traffick and hopes that telling her story will raise awareness of human trafficking and its prevalence in every society.
Posted by Spot
Catalogue Link: Trafficked: My Story
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