Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
BHARTI PATEL
Child trafficking is closer to us than we would like to think. Millions of children, men, and women are bought and sold across the world and exploited in unimaginable forms. We are talking about sexual abuse.
We're talking about children abused in domestic servitude, as well as in forced criminal and forced labor.
COMFORT
When I got to London, I was taken to mama's house. I had to do all the domestic work. I cooked and cleaned the house. Then things got really bad.
Men would come and pick me up from the house to take me to other places to rape and abuse me.
[TEXT ON SCREEN: Each year, 700 children are trafficked into the UK and exploited. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg... At least 13,000 men, women and children are thought to be living in condition of slavery here.]
Finally, a friend of mama's said that she knew what was happening. She told me to escape. One night, I managed.
BHARTI PATEL
Many trafficked children are still not believed by authorities when they tell them of the experiences of their trafficking and exploitation.
DEBBIE BEADLE
They're often pushed about from pillar to post and don't know where they are, so very unsettled. It can leave them quite frustrated and quite demoralised, and actually very vulnerable.
I think it's really important for when young people have been through such a trauma that they're met with a genuine respect and understanding.
Actually, we're raising more awareness, and there's going to be more--
And we hope that through our training, we can help front-line services understand that.
HUNG
Coming over from France was the worst. It was hot and I could not breathe. I was taken to a house where cannabis was growing. We were made to work very long hours.
When I asked where was my money, they threatened to kill me. Then the police raided. The interview was very complicated. They didn't believe I was 16. I was sentenced to 18 months detention.
BHARTI PATEL
At ECPAT UK, we monitor cases of child abuse and child trafficking, and we advocate UK governments to introduce strong anti-trafficking measures to protect every child victim of trafficking, to prosecute their abusers, and to prevent children from being trafficked in the first place.
At ECPAT UK, we believe every child has a right to childhood and to live a life with dignity.
COMFORT
Well, when I got to ECPAT, that is another life entirely for me. I met different girls from different backgrounds. And they went through what I went through, and they overcame it. So they always encouraged me because we meet every week saying we used to be in your situation, but now we are fine.