2 Survivors Defeated Traffickers

The tragic reality is that a survivor is extremely vulnerable after she escapes. She may not know anyone nearby or speak the local language. Usually, she’s stuck in the same city where she was trafficked. Even worse, her trafficker is usually still out there, roaming free, maybe even hunting her. We know traffickers know how to exploit the legal system, just like they exploit women and children. That’s why we make sure that survivors get legal support as part of their First Steps to Freedom. We’ve had to step in and offer survivors legal defense from traffickers multiple times. Just a few weeks ago, we saw a trafficker sue 2 successful survivors, trying to extract money from them.

Narcisa and Milena had been free for about two years. They had reunited with their children. After intensive healing, they had each started small businesses.

Narcisa was a seamstress, and Milena was a hairdresser. Somehow, their trafficker heard that they had become successful and had money. He found them, and sued them for breach of contract. You see, they had signed a contract years before to travel to another country for employment at a hotel. Of course they never made it to the hotel. They were brutally trafficked for 2 years before being freed. Now, the trafficker was trying to exploit them once again. Our legal team sprang into action, defending Narcisa and Milena. During the trial, Narcisa looked her trafficker squarely in the face and said this:

“Have you ever imagined an angel without wings? Look at me: I am one of them. You tore my wings and never felt a shred of regret about it. Now, people have given me my wings back and I am flying, you dare to come and try to make money on me.” The judge cried. Narcisa and Milena won, our legal team standing by their sides. Can you imagine what would have happened if they didn't have anywhere to turn when their trafficker sued them? He could have ruined their lives all over again. We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen. Support and encouragement from people like you makes it possible for Uncaged to step in, defend, and provide for survivors like Narcisa and Milena. Today, I invite you to help dozens of survivors like them take their first steps to freedom.

5 Reasons Trafficking Survivors Need Legal Support

“Why would a survivor need a legal team,” someone asked our team.

You’ve heard us say that rescue is just the beginning of freedom. A survivor faces huge hurdles after rescue and before true freedom, let alone healing. Every survivor’s first steps to freedom include tackling some legal affairs. Just like most of us need help when it comes to legal matters, survivors need support, too. Every survivors’ situation is as unique as she is, but here are a few common legal issues survivors face before they can start their healing journey:

#1 Protection - survivors may need a restraining order or protection order against their trafficker. We know of many situations where a survivor escaped while her trafficker was still out there, sometimes in the same city. Survivors may need an attorney to make sure her enslaver is legally required to stay away. #2 Paperwork to Get Home - A huge number of Romanian survivors were smuggled into a different country in Europe. When this happens, her trafficker usually confiscates all of her identification and personal documents. She doesn’t get those back when she escapes. Legal teams can aid survivors in getting documents like passports to make sure she can go home to heal. #3 Criminal Record Relief - Too often, survivors are treated as criminals. One study showed that 91% of trafficking survivors had been arrested at least once. Survivors may need their records cleared or amended to make sure they’re able to go home AND get access to the support and employment they need to rebuild their lives. #4 Pressing Charges - If a survivor wants to report and press charges against her trafficker, she will need counsel to represent her. Only a tiny fraction of survivors take this step. Many are still afraid of their traffickers and their syndicates and would prefer to stay away. The sad reality is that traffickers are rarely brought to justice no matter who presses charges against them. #5 Defense Against Traffickers - Traffickers are unthinkably cruel. Multiple times over the past few months, we have had to defend survivors whose traffickers are suing them or trying to get them back into their clutches. These survivors had already been free for a year or more. When a trafficker comes back to terrorize a survivor, they need a strong team to keep them free and defeat the attack. At Uncaged, we are committed to making sure every survivor who gets free can stay free. That’s why our First Steps to Freedom for survivors include legal fees and support for legal issues. We cannot leave survivors vulnerable when they need protection the most. We’re raising an army that will stand between survivors and their traffickers. Together we say, “she was never yours, and you can never touch her again.” Join us today in making sure survivors get the support they need. Together, we can equip her to take her First Steps to Freedom.

First Steps to Freedom for Trafficking Survivors

We know that human trafficking is a global, massive problem. It's called “organized crime” for a reason.

Now, it’s time for the good guys to get organized. Look at the way freedom resounds when we do. In just a few short weeks we:

• Took down an online trafficking platform with 400,000 users

• Rescued 3 children from trafficking as part of a collaborative sting operation.

• Defended 2 survivors in court against their traffickers

• Freed 5 survivors just before they were trafficked to a foreign country and sold into slavery during an operation with international authorities.

• Aided in the arrest of 1 trafficker, who had been posing as one of the survivor’s boyfriends.

10 survivors protected in almost as many days. Freedom resounds when we fight this evil together.

We know that for survivors like these, rescue is just the beginning. Immediately after rescue, survivors need support to stay safe and start to heal. Our team across Europe is making sure these survivors take their First Steps to Freedom. That means we’re connecting them to medical treatment, legal counsel, and emergency care, just as we have for dozens of other survivors tucked in safe houses across Europe. It takes a total of $2970 to fund each survivor’s First Steps. Then, as soon as travel bans lift, she will go to our Sanctuary in Romania to continue her journey in our world-class, trauma-informed program. Will you act today and equip these survivors to take their First Steps to Freedom?

Look at the impact we can have when we work together to end this evil. In a few short days, 10 survivors' lives were transformed. The door to freedom swings wide when the good guys get organized. Thank you for being one of the good guys.