Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

Sweetpea · 02-24-2007, 12:54 PM

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y26...dia_200702.jpg
(Links to an image of underage girl referenced in the Article)

02/19/2007

By Janet Root, Assistant Web Editor
Contributing Writer: Chamnap Nay, Cambodia Communications

Quote:

It's shocking to realize. This small, round-cheeked 14-year-old in the pale, pink sleeveless top (we will call her An, though her real name must be withheld to protect her privacy) could be a poster child for modern-day slavery.

Sold by her aunt and brutally raped by a sex predator, An’s experience parallels that of the approximately 2 million children in the world today enslaved in the global sex trade.

"I Thought He'd Kill Me!"

Last year, An recalls, she was invited to visit her aunt's house a few miles from the home she shared with her grandparents in Phnom Penh. During the visit, An's aunt asked her to walk with her to see a friend.

When they arrived at an abandoned house, "My auntie told me that it was her friend’s house," she says. Claiming she needed to go shopping, the older woman told her niece to wait.

"My auntie promised to return, but [hours] later a man with a long beard came rushing toward me. He was very big, and when he pushed me, I had no energy to defend myself." When the man began to rip her clothes, she said "I thought he'd kill me. I wanted to call out … but could not shout."

An was brutally raped three times that night. It was just the beginning of a horrific siege of abuse. "I was imprisoned in that house," she explains. "The man kept doing the same thing to me every night. During the daytime, my legs, arms, and mouth were tied.”

How could a relative sell her own flesh and blood to a sex predator?

Exploitation's Origins

There are no easy answers. But we do know that poverty makes children more susceptible to exploitation. Cambodians are among the world's poorest people; around a third of the population live on less than a $1 a day, and the vast majority go without electricity or running water. In this deeply impoverished Southeast Asian nation, the asking price for a child's body is $50 to $800.
While most of the men who abuse children in the country are local Cambodians, foreigners from wealthy countries searching for sex with children fuel an increased demand for young victims. Traffickers and brothel owners quickly service the demand. So-called sex tourists come to Cambodia, where they know they'll find impoverished, hence vulnerable, children; low-cost prostitution, anonymity, and a likely escape from prosecution.

The result of this toxic equation? An estimated one-third of prostitutes in Cambodia are children. Like An, these youths typically have been abuducted, lured, or deceived into sexual slavery — many of them sold to brothels.

Cambodia's government took a promising step to reduce child trafficking five years ago, forming the anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection department. Arrests and prosecutions have increased since then. However, justice for abused children is limited because legal enforcement is lacking.

As part of World Vision's commitment to protecting children, we are addressing this issue. We've joined forces with national governments, U.S. law enforcement agencies, and other organizations to combat child sex tourism through the Child Sex Tourism Prevention Project — a program that has proven effective in Cambodia, as well as Thailand, Costa Rica, and the U.S.

"I Was No Longer a Good Girl"

An's physical torment ended one humid, hot afternoon, two months after her ordeal had begun. Her rapist rushed breathlessly into the abandoned house where she had been imprisoned. "He untied my legs and arms and gave me $10 to leave. I jumped up and ran to find a taxi to take me home."
After telling her story to her grandparents, her grandmother cried, An says, adding: "I thought I was no longer a good girl for having my virginity taken away from me."

"Child in Crisis Partners"
Hearing of the small girl's tragic ordeal, one of An's neighbors suggested taking her to the Neavea Thmey Center. A sexual trauma recovery facility operated by World Vision, it is supported by donors who participate in our "Child in Crisis Partners" program.

World Vision's Trauma Recovery Center: Neavea Thmey

Neavea Thmey, which means “new ship” in Khmer, infers the new journey girls embark upon in recovering from sexual abuse. In this protective, nurturing center, girls aged 8 to 18 are supported in a peer environment
Most girls' stay in the center is for a period of six to 12 months before starting their new life. More than 700 girls have been assisted by the Neavea Thmey Center since it opened in 1997.
"Like Entering Heaven"

"After arriving at the center, I felt like I was [entering] heaven … just day[s] before, I was imprisoned in a dark room with my legs and arms tied and had nothing to eat," An explains.
Staff at Neavea Thmey helped An to file a local police report about her abuse, but as is too often the case, An's aunt and the offender had already slipped away.
During the six months she stayed at the center, An made many friends. "The center staff loved me and took care of me like their own daughter," she adds.
In addition, she learned new skills. "I found it enjoyable to learn new skills at the center, especially hairdressing.” An also learned to read and write basic Khmer and English.
Educational opportunities are one of the best means to alleviate poverty, which puts young people like An at risk of being exploited.

New Beginnings
Since completing her stay at the Trauma Recovery Center, World Vision staff members have continued to follow up on An’s progress. They've also provided her and her family with a bicycle, food supplements, and two months of rent and school expenses so An has a head-start on her education, something the family could not afford before.
"I want to learn more," An concludes, "so I can qualify to work for a big company or start my own business."

I can't say I was shocked by this, but I am propelled to post it here since
Awareness is the key to addressing any issue. Exploiting children is an issue that is just not acceptable.
Poverty and exploitation of children and women is a real thing that is occuring with millions all around the world.

Things you can do:

Advocate
Donate time or $$ to organizations that tackle this issue (WorldVision is just one of many)
Report an American sex trade tourist (sex with minors is illegal even in other countries)

Your Thoughts and opinions??