In 2018, 16-year-old Suman* was rescued from sex trafficking in India and placed in a shelter home, where she received counseling and other support from the local Justice Hub. Suman enrolled in a training program where she learned tailoring and other life skills and met the man who would later become her husband. She worked there for eight months before returning to her hometown to care for her ill father.
Suman continued to stay connected with the Justice Hub aftercare team, who stepped in when Suman’s husband began physically abusing her after only a few months of marriage. When Suman became pregnant, she left her husband to protect herself from his abuse and alcoholism. Tragically, her husband committed suicide in retaliation, leaving Suman traumatized and in a state of severe emotional distress just as she was starting to experience healing from her prior life.
An aftercare counselor provided emotional support and strength for Suman to care for her child as she sought to rebuild her life. Suman continues to receive trauma counseling and regular check-ins by the Justice Hub aftercare team, who realize that freedom from a trafficking situation is only the first step in the restoration journey.
*Name changed to protect identity
