A Bangladeshi mother left home with her young daughter and traveled across the border into India with the hope of finding employment.
Once in India, they fell victim to a sex trafficking ring and were sold into a brothel. The mother and her twelve-year-old daughter were brought to Mumbai where they were raped in front of each other to break them down. The child was then trafficked and sold again to another brothel far away from her mother. She was re-trafficked to brothels in three different cities, making her untraceable to anyone trying to find her. The mother was held captive at the brothel in Mumbai, desperate to escape and find her daughter.
Two years passed until the mother could finally escape.
As a foreigner in India and to the local language, the mother did not know where to turn to find her daughter. She learned about the local Justice Hub and met with one of the social workers, saying she would not rest until her daughter was found. Seeing the mother’s grief, the team immediately began the search for the daughter, but as the search ensued, it became clear that they were unlikely to find the child who had been re-trafficked multiple times.
Despite the immense danger, the social worker took it upon herself to go undercover as a sex worker and reach out to different brothel owners in multiple cities.
She found the child.
The Justice Hub worked with the local police to rescue the child, who was covered in burn marks, missing teeth from being physically assaulted, and struggled to communicate after three years of not speaking in her mother tongue and not being taught the local language.
The team brought the child to her mother in Mumbai, and when the two embraced and wept after three long years of separation, there was unspeakable joy in the room.
The Justice Hub was able to repatriate the child to Bangladesh where her restoration is ongoing, and criminal charges have been filed against the traffickers. Justice Hub lawyers are working closely with prosecutors to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable.
Today, JVI’s Justice Hub partners are pursuing cases across South Asia against over 270 traffickers. This last year, 25 traffickers have been convicted and sentenced.
To hear this story as told by the lawyer who fought for them, watch Beyond Freedom: Justice.
