One, two, three, four. Stolen.
Four teenage girls, the youngest merely 13 years old. Children.
These young girls grew up living in poverty, in the rural mountains of Nepal. Rather than continuing their own education, these children had to leave school and home in search of jobs to support their families. They ventured to the country’s bustling capital city: Kathmandu.
When the girls arrived in Kathmandu, they were given work as waitresses in a restaurant. Wide-eyed, they embraced this opportunity, hoping to earn a living. However, this hope quickly evaporated into an inescapable, living nightmare.
Trapped by sex traffickers, the girls were forced to entertain multiple clients each day. The facility they were held in was heavily guarded, giving them nowhere to run. The owners were powerful business people who had insider connections that turned a blind eye to any complaint of illegal activity. The girls were sinking and no one knew and no one could do anything to help.
Yet, when all their hope was running out, their prayers reached where no trafficker could go.
JVI and their local partner caught wind of the illegal activity and began an investigation. After rigorous protocol, they teamed up with the National Human Rights Commission, National Child Rights Council, and local police to rescue the girls. Because of the sensitive nature of the crime and the powerful influence of the traffickers, the team remained on high alert, working around the clock to make sure the traffickers were not tipped off before the rescue.
The team positioned itself around the location. On command, the team raided the location, extracted the girls, and escorted them to safety.
The girls are now in the JVI aftercare program, recovering at a shelter home where they are seen again for who they are: children.
“I will start a new life and study,” one girl said through tears.
“I want to provide my support and get justice,” said another.
With these words as their motivation, the JVI team, their partners, and authorities will continue to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that justice is served as soon as possible. One trafficker has already been arrested as the team continues to work towards further arrests and prosecutions.
One. Two. Three. Four. Found. Learn more about JVI’s mission to to bring freedom, justice, and restoration to men, women, and children suffering from human trafficking and other forms of extreme injustice.
