Hope for Justice investigators have told of how a woman was supported to leave exploitation after being forced into commercial sex and drug use.
The female survivor of human trafficking, Annabelle*, courageously contacted a sexual assault victim advocacy organization working in the Midwest region of the U.S., asking for help.
She wanted to leave her trafficking situation, so the organization helped the survivor move into temporary accommodation at a hotel while they searched for a longer-term housing option.
But that night, the traffickers managed to find Annabelle. They forced her to leave the hotel and work for the evening – exploiting her as a sex worker to line their pockets. The perpetrators also forced Annabelle to take heroin.
Richard Schoeberl, Hope for Justice’s U.S. Team Leader, said: “The following morning, the survivor was scared and panicked. She contacted the advocacy agency again, asking to be removed from the situation.”
They in turn contacted Hope for Justice’s Midwest Regional Center, requesting our assistance to find a longer-term housing placement for Annabelle. We also worked collaboratively to support the survivor to leave exploitation, and provided transportation, interview assistance and investigation.
Hope for Justice and the victim advocate agency were able to remove the survivor from exploitation and transport her several hours away to a safe location. She is now receiving aftercare.
Currently, 80% of survivors face re-exploitation in the United States if they don’t receive the appropriate aftercare and support.
A spokeswoman for the advocacy organization said: “Hope for Justice is an essential resource that not only betters the lives of survivors, but can save them. As a victim advocate, I can call on them for their expertise and assistance whenever it’s needed. Recently, we worked with a human trafficking survivor. We needed to quickly get the survivor out of the area and to a secure and safe location. I called Hope for Justice and they immediately hit the road so we could make this transport possible. Without their assistance and help, I’m not sure what we would have done.
“Because of the teamwork and collaboration with Hope for Justice, many survivors are safe and able to begin their healing journey. They are a resource every advocate, law enforcement agency, and prosecutors’ office should know about and work with.”
Devon Greiter, one of Hope for Justice’s Investigators, emphasized the value of collaboration and strong partnerships such as this. She said: “Building relationships is incredibly important in the battle against human trafficking. I am incredibly grateful to our community partners who made this survivor’s desire to leave her situation become a realistic option.
“Being able to provide resources and assistance to these survivors in their time of need is one of the most impactful things I have done in my career. While I look forward to a day when trafficking doesn’t exist, I am honored to be able to assist anyone looking for help to recover from a trafficking situation. Each step along the way is a brave and vital step for a survivor and I, along with many other dedicated individuals, am committed to supporting them along their journey.”
Find out about the barriers that women and girls face to accessing aftercare and support post-exploitation, as well as recommendations for how governments, civil society and the wider public can help: How to reduce barriers for women and girls after exploitation | Hope for Justice.
*Name changed to protect identity of the survivor
