Hope for Justice’s investigators in the Midwest U.S. have supported a survivor of human trafficking who was at imminent risk of being re-trafficked.
The female survivor, Ember*, had chosen to leave her aftercare program with the view to moving forward in her recovery independently.
She maintained contact with Hope for Justice’s team in the Midwest throughout this time. Through these conversations, we learned that Ember was back in communication with her trafficker, which we recognised posed a huge risk to her wellbeing and safety.
Richard Schoeberl, Hope for Justice’s United States Team Leader, said: “We identified that the survivor was attempting to return to the area where she was trafficked. We had several conversations and provided counselling, which thankfully resulted in the survivor deciding not to meet with or move close to her trafficker.”
We know that up to 1 in 3 human trafficking survivors are re-trafficked if they do not get the right support, and we wanted to do everything possible to prevent this from happening to Ember.
Factors that may lead to a survivor returning to their trafficker include a fear of retaliation, social stigma, or a lack of resources. Psychological manipulation and physical abuse during exploitation can also create a dependency or false sense of safety and security. Victims may also have received threats to themselves or their families.
Earlier this month, Ember contacted Hope for Justice and asked for our assistance to re-enter an aftercare program. She told our team that she did not want to continue down the path she was on. We were delighted that our support helped her make this decision.
We have been able to secure Ember a place in an aftercare program where she will receive tailored support to help her heal and rebuild her life.
Hope for Justice arranged to retrieve the survivor and transport her to the program where she is now residing and doing well. Our team will continue to maintain contact to ensure her long-term safety.
*Name and image changed to protect identity of the survivor
