Sex trade: EU enlargement threatens increase in sex slavery
Ruhama, an organisation that works with women involved in prostitution, spoke out as gardaí investigated claims by a teenage Romanian girl that she was smuggled here, held captive and forced to have sex with hundreds of men.
It wants the Government and the European Union to introduce legislation to tackle the trafficking of vulnerable women and children into sex slavery.
The organisation said it was deeply concerned about the now 18-year-old Maria Alexi’s story. But a spokesperson said: “This story does not surprise us. In working with women involved in prostitution, we are well aware of the dreadful risks, lack of choice and threat of violence.
“As national boundaries in the EU are rapidly diminishing there is a real concern that the abuse and trafficking of women from the poorer countries will actually increase above totally unacceptable present day levels,” said the spokesperson. “It is imperative that the Irish and EU Governments introduce legislation and support services for these very vulnerable women.”
Gardaí are searching for a man accused of bringing the then 15-year-old into the country and forcing her to have sex with 200 men, from Romania, Bulgaria and China. He is also alleged to have beat her regularly. The last time he did, two weeks ago, the woman says she lost her baby.
Maria, who is under garda protection, says she met other similarly abused girls. She said her abuser was aged about 30 and a married father-of-two who has residency in Ireland on the basis of an Irish-born child.
Maria told how she was brought to Ireland in 2001 by the man she believed herself to be in love with.
“After a few months he come home and tell me I had to perform sex with some friends of his because we need money. I cried. I said ‘I no want’ but he said he was the boss.”
The man slashed her across the chest, Maria says. She was kept in various flats across Dublin and locked in when the man was not at home. Maria says she became pregnant by him six months ago. After unsuccessfully attempting to get an abortion, he began beating her more regularly, three or four times a week.
On the last occasion, Maria says he wrapped a towel around his hand and began punching her repeatedly and very hard in the stomach. “I was feeling I was wetting myself and I started crying and screaming...I was all blood.”
Neighbours called an ambulance, but Maria had lost her baby.
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