RESCUING 5 GIRLS FROM HUMAN TRAFFICKING

As we have mentioned in previous reports, more than 500,000 people worldwide become victims of trafficking networks every year. That's one every minute. Without a doubt, we are fighting a huge and terrible problem that affects hundreds of thousands of people each year.

For us, eradicating human trafficking is the main objective of our projects in South Asia and also in Spain. We invest the greatest efforts in prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation. However, many women and girls still continue to fall prey to human trafficking networks and become sexually exploited.

Thanks to the work of our teams on the field, always in collaboration with local authorities and specific anti human trafficking police units, we have managed to rescue more than 115 victims in recent years, subsequently providing them with a safe place for rehabilitation.

Recently, our local team in Mumbai joined forces with a local police's Anti-Trafficking Unit to participate in an operation against a trafficker who was allegedly forcing two young women into prostitution on the northern outskirts of the city.

The joint rescue operation began at noon. According to the plan, the trafficker was approached by a decoy client, actually a member of our team, who proposed meeting her at a local restaurant, indicating that he was interested in hiring two girls for sexual intercourse. The trafficker attended the meeting bringing the two victims along to the location, believing she would get a good sum of money.

As our team had gradually discovered, this trafficker lured vulnerable and financially challenged girls with false promises of high-paying jobs. In reality, she forced them into prostitution. The victim charged clients with sums of upto 10,000 rupees (approximately US$112), then paid only 2,000 INR (almost US$23) to the victims, and kept the remainder for herself.

During the operation, police officers intervened and freed the trafficker's two victims. One was originally from the state of West Bengal (northeast India) and the other from Bhusawal, in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra. Both were taken to a government shelter, where they received the care and attention they needed and deserved, with the follow up and supervision of our team. After some weeks, they will be able to decide if they want to return to their native place or remain in the shelter home.

The trafficker was arrested under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (a law passed in India in 1956 to curb human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation) and sent to jail pending trial. 

Since 2020 we have carried out 58 rescue operations, through which we have cooperated in the rescue of 115 victims from trafficking.

We are proud of what we have achieved so far. Although still there is a lot of work to do, every single life saved is definitely worth it. All these efforts can be done thanks to your support.

Thank you!