We rescued Hema in June from a brothel in Maharashtra. One of our biggest challenges was that Hema was still in love with her boyfriend—her trafficker. Although we tried to help her understand that he was exploiting her for money and did not love her, she continued to visit him in jail and attempted to bail him out.
Hema works as a daily wage laborer on a farm. Social worker Bharti has regularly visited her to see how she is doing. Recently, Bharti (left) took Hema a winter jacket and some other essentials, and Hema opened up to her. She shared that her boyfriend's brother had been asking her for bail money. She admitted that she finally realizes that her boyfriend has been exploiting her and only wants to use her for money. Hema said she wanted to report the situation to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), so we offered to accompany her. On our way there, Hema shared that one month earlier, she received threatening calls from the lodge owners and family of the accused. Despite the threats, Hema courageously told them that she would not back down and that she was supported by the CWC, the police, and our team.
When we reached the CWC, Hema updated them on what had transpired. The CWC recorded her statement and contacted the police. The CWC requested Hema stay in a shelter home for her safety, but she declined. That evening, Hema called us saying she had just received more threatening calls. We got on a conference call with the police and CWC. The police assured Hema that they would submit her statement in court and take action against the people who were threatening her. The next day, when Bharti called Hema, Hema shared that she had received no additional threatening calls.
We are relieved that Hema finally realizes that her boyfriend has been exploiting her and has continued to use her while he is in jail. Hema is ready to take him to court, and we will continue to stand by her side and fight with her for justice.
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