Last year, on March 13, 2023, the Freedom Firm team rescued 16-year-old Lata from a
brothel in a notorious red-light area called Ganga Jamuna in central India. The police arrested the brothel manager and building owner, and Lata was placed in a shelter home.
As we got to know Lata, we learned that she dropped out of school in the 5th grade. Our social worker encouraged her to continue her education, and Lata seemed eager to learn tailoring, cosmetology, and other new skills.
We also learned that Lata grew up in the Kanjar community, a collection of villages where parents often sell their young children into prostitution and live off their earnings, raising their children to believe this is a way to honor their family. Lata’s father died of a heart attack a few years earlier, and her mother was sickly and in debt, so Lata’s own mother sold her into prostitution for about $17,900. We notified the authorities of this information and recommended that Lata stay in the shelter home for her safety. Nevertheless, they chose to give Lata’s mother custody of her.
In July 2023, our team was surveilling Ganga Jamuna and recognized Lata being offered for sale again. Her mother had trafficked her once more, but before we could act on this information, Lata was moved out of the state and disappeared. For several weeks we searched for Lata and finally found her 700 miles away in a brothel in Rajasthan. We rescued her for the second time on August 17, 2023. The police arrested a female brothel keeper, and Lata was again placed in a shelter home.
After her second rescue, Lata told us about a 6-year-old girl who was being groomed for prostitution at another nearby brothel. Thanks to Lata's concern and intervention, our team was able to rescue the child and save her from further exploitation.
As Lata’s legal case progressed, we witnessed continual victories: the brothel keeper applied for bail in the Sessions Court and was denied, and in November 2023, the High Court in Jaipur also denied bail.
Earlier this year, Lata testified in court and shared that her mother sold her for $17,900. She bravely recounted the crimes she endured through being trafficked and exploited. The defense lawyer attempted to unnerve our team, but they stood their ground and clearly answered each question.
These cases often take years to conclude, but only a few months later, we were thrilled to learn that the court sentenced the brothel keeper to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and awarded Lata with 500,000 rupees (about $6,000) compensation.
This is our fastest conviction to date!!
Lata turned 18 earlier this year, so she was released back to her mother. Although this leaves us concerned, our team continues to reach out to Lata to ensure her safety.
From a very young age, Lata was taught to believe she was honoring her family through prostitution. Breaking this cultural and generational bondage is incredibly difficult and takes time. We continue to speak the truth to her that will slowly help her to understand her inestimable worth; her journey has just begun.
Lata’s courage saved a 6-year-old and put her brothel keeper in jail for 10 years. Lata has already protected future girls from exploitation. You can join her and Freedom Firm to protect girls and transform the systems that allow these crimes to happen.
Freedom Firm relies on donations from people like you – thank you for helping to bring rescue, restoration, and justice to Lafiza, and for giving her the opportunity to testify in court!
Will you donate to bring rescue, restoration and justice to more girls?
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