It was a week before Christmas. Everything was going to be taken care of: food, accommodation, transport. The offer of well-paid work in the UK was too good an opportunity to miss. I could finally provide for my daughter in a way I’d always wanted to.
I remember kissing my daughter goodbye. It was a long drive across Europe and we eventually arrived at Davos’s house, and that’s when the nightmare began. There was no job. Instead, over the next four years I was a slave to five different men. Used by each one until they had no more need for me. I was sold in front of my very eyes. I worked at construction sites and car washes, long hours but they kept the money I earned. They even made threats about what they would do to my daughter if I ever went to the police. I was so hungry, I was tired, I was trapped. I had no-one I could turn to for help. I thought life was hopeless.
One day I was walking the streets and someone threw a stone at my head and I ended up in hospital. It’s there that they spotted that I might be in trouble. That’s where I met the team from Hope for Justice. They rescued me there and then. The Hope for Justice team have been with me every step of the way these last few years. It’s not been easy, but they’ve really helped me get back on my feet. A place to live, good food, I’ve learnt new skills. I’m now working at a real job and I’m going to see my daughter again. I am so grateful for my freedom and for the people that have made it possible. I will be forever thankful.
Narrative provided by Hope for Justice
