The Case of Gloria

She thought she was going to be a nanny

Gloria was sent by her uncle to John, who was supposed to assist her in coming to Europe as a nanny. Her family paid a large sum for this opportunity. To solidify the arrangement, Gloria had to pledge in front of her gods that she would pay John an additional £50,000. This pledge was made during a religious ritual known as 'juju', where the gods entered her body, and she became aware that any disobedience would lead to insanity or death.
It is vital to highlight that the ceremony of juju poses a significant threat to trafficked individuals from certain African countries. The intangible bond it creates is as powerful as if someone were constantly monitoring their every move.
Upon reaching the airport, John took hold of Gloria's identification documents and tickets. However, they did not sit together on the plane. Only when they arrived in Madrid did John reappear? He escorted her to a waiting car, where another man joined them. Gloria did not see John for the following two years.

… threatened to work as a prostitute

The man, Michael, brought her to a large apartment where six other young women lived. Two of the girls seemed very young, making Gloria think they were the children she was supposed to care for. However, after a week, she realized the truth. Michael and his friends would visit a few times a week and sexually assault Gloria on the large bed in the living room.
After a month, Michael demanded that Gloria join the other women in street prostitution. They would work every night, and each morning, they would have their bodies searched. Michael took all the money they earned, even the small amounts Gloria had hidden for herself. Any resistance led to severe beatings, which continued for three days until Gloria complied.
For the next two years, Gloria lived in a state of numbness, going through the motions. Until one day...

…Her brother was killed as a threat

One afternoon, Gloria woke up to find John again standing at the door. He asked her to pack her things and said that she needed to move. Gloria felt a flicker of hope, thinking that maybe she would finally have the opportunity to work as a nanny. However, her hope quickly faded when she realized that John still had her papers. Despite this setback, Gloria hoped she could retrieve her documents after a short flight. Unfortunately, what awaited her was a cold and dark land covered in snow.
Gloria was settled into a similar apartment in Spain under the watchful eye of a prominent woman named Precious, who held the title of Madame in the house. Precious informed Gloria that there was more money to be made in Denmark than in Spain, and that the customers there needed more. However, Gloria soon discovered that this was a lie. Each night, she had to stand on the freezing streets of Skelbækgade, wearing nylon stockings in subzero temperatures. The gruelling work became unbearable.
One day, Gloria reached her breaking point. Summoning her courage, she confided in an acquaintance in Sweden and made the decision to run away. She sought refuge in Sweden, hiding for a month before mustering the courage to call her family in Benin. To her shock, she discovered that her brother had been murdered, a message meant to coerce her into returning to Denmark..

…. arrested despite being innocent

When Gloria returned to Skelbækgade, she realized she had worked for John, Michael, and Precious for nearly four years. During that time, she had lost track of the £50,000 she had managed to repay because she was forbidden to record her earnings. Additionally, both Michael and Precious had added more debt on top of the original amount. As she pondered this behind Copenhagen central station, two police officers approached her and requested her ID. She handed over the fake documents provided by Precious. Without fully comprehending the reason, Gloria found herself in jail, entangled in a case involving counterfeit papers. The police persisted in questioning her about her journey to Denmark, but she remained silent, bound by her sworn oath.
One day, a caseworker from HopeNow arrived at the prison. With a serene countenance and a Bible in her possession, she seemed to have a deeper understanding of the experiences faced by African women. After engaging in a conversation about God and hearing Gloria's life story, the caseworker assured her that she could offer help. Despite her numerous encounters with abuse and distrust, Gloria felt a glimmer of trust in this woman, as if the search for an ally had finally come to an end. This woman had been sent by HopeNow.
And so, Gloria shared her harrowing tale. She spoke of her naivety, vulnerability, severe maltreatment, and years of forced prostitution and imprisonment. The caseworker pledged to do everything within her power to secure Gloria's release from jail. A week later, during Gloria's trial, the woman appeared once again. The discussion revolved around identifying Gloria as a victim of human trafficking, and although Gloria didn't comprehend all the details, the caseworker kept her promise. Following the trial, Gloria was escorted to a women's center where, at long last, she received the care and support befitting her status as a victim.