Human Trafficking Victim

In a society driven by money, there is one industry that stands out in a crowd for being terrifying, demoralizing and cruel to people in the hopes of gaining a couple of dollars. That industry is the sex trade and according to The Sophie Hayes Foundation, an industry that brings in a sickening 150 billion dollars annually (The Sophie Hayes Foundation.) The Canadian Government defines human trafficking as "Human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, harbouring and/ or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labour.

It is often described as a modern form of slavery" (The Government of Canada.)

According to the United Nations, there is an estimated 2.4 million people in forced labor, which includes human trafficking victims (United Nations.) The sex trade is run by people called pimps. Pimps are the people who collect the money from the sex workers and often introduce them into the world of the sex trade.

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In an article published by Arizona State University, Pimps use a variety of recruitment and manipulation tactics on victims, such as investing a lot of time and effort in forming a bond with their victim. They buy girls gifts, provide a place to stay and give affection before revealing their true intent- to sexually exploit them. Additionally, the pimp may also threaten to harm the victim's family or close friends, as a way to maintain control (Bayless.)

Historically people have bought into the belief that human trafficking victims have originated from third world countries, people from a poor upbringing and the victims are mainly run away teenage girls.

Society also has a belief that human trafficking victims are not transported out of their country of origin. However, these stereotypes were proven false when a British woman was trafficked in Italy by her one time best friend. Sophie Hayes was 24 when she went on vacation in Italy that would forever change her life (Trafficked 57.) Hayes has shown many strengths, will power and inspirational acts throughout her life. She has used her experience as a young girl growing up in a dysfunctional family in England. As well as her journey of being trafficked in a foreign country by someone she loved and trusted. Finally, Hayes outlines her experience of reintegrating into society after an unthinkable event tore apart her life. Sophie Hayes is an incredibly strong and inspirational woman, whose life story shows her undeniable strength.

Hayes shows her strength through a variety of ways throughout her life. One way she has done this is by explaining the events of her childhood. Hayes grew up without a father figure in her life, and when her father was present he was abusive. In her book titled Trafficked, she describes her childhood as "lived under the shadow cast by my father's verbal and emotional abuse" (Trafficked 5.) This impressionable time in her life led her to develop a basic foundation of independence and inner strength to realize that she does not have to rely on her father. It also led to her wanting for a male figure in her life to love her. Hayes outlines that she had many failed relationships. One of these relationships almost ended in a marriage, however it was not a marriage of want but one of necessity. As her boyfriend was to be deported back to his native country of Albania and a marriage visa was the only way for him to remain in England. Hayes stated "Helping Erion seemed to be something I had to do - if not because I loved him enough to spend the rest of my life with him, then at least out of loyalty" (Trafficked 46.) The marriage was only stopped as Hayes was admitted to hospital because of extreme abdominal pain(Trafficked 50.)

At the time of all her failed relationships, she needed a constant person in her life, this constant was Kas. Hayes met Kas at a nightclub in Leeds, England (Trafficked 19.) They became fast friends, Hayes said that "He had become the one person I could talk to about anything and everything that was going on in my life" (Trafficked 25.) Hayes clearly thought that Kas was a person she could trust and would never hurt her. Hayes childhood was clearly one of hardship and distrust. She grew up with a estranged father and unhappy relationships. Which allowed her to develop a unique form of inner strength. Before she finally thought she met a lifelong and trusted friend. It was this blind trust that ultimately led her to Italy, in an event that changed her life.

After years of friendship, Hayes went on the trip of a lifetime to Italy with Kas (Trafficked 57.) She spent a couple of days in Italy having a blast with her best friend Kas. However in an instant, that happiness was gone. While preparing to depart for England, Kas dropped a bomb on Hayes. She said "At first I thought he was joking" (Trafficked 63) This horrible statement clearly shocked Hayes as she revealed "He doesn't mean it, I told myself. Just keep calm. This sort of thing doesn't happen in real life"(Trafficked 64.)

Hayes bought in to society's belief that a girl with an education and is well off could never be trafficked in a foreign country. She also stated "Men like kas aren't pimps-or drug dealers - and girls like me don't work on the street" (Trafficked 65) In her book, Hayes details her first days of being sold to whoever is willing to pay. She described the time as "I felt as though I was tumbling through space, unable to save myself and dreading the inevitable moment when I hit the ground" (Trafficked 77) Hayes stated that while working in the streets she was terrified of Kas. He used manipulative techniques to control her and ensure she would not escape. Hayes revealed that " obtaining Kas's approval had quickly become my single most important goal" (Trafficked 100.) She also said "Of all the threat and warnings Kas constantly shouted at me, there were 2 things he said more often than any others; ' this is what you have to do if you love someone ; you have to make sacrifices' and 'you see what I'll do to you if you disobey me" (Trafficked 100.) Kas was also physically and mentally abusive to her. Hayes said "Without any warning, he flew across the room, grabbed me by the throat and started banging my head against the tiled wall of the shower" (Trafficked 95.)

In an interview, Hayes said "change that came over him that was so shocking and terrifying, and the psychological mind games that were the worst. It was the way that he spoke, the way that he made me feel that he is everywhere, he knows everyone, in the police, the immigration, they are watching me. A life really did mean nothing to him, and if I do something wrong, what are the consequences?" (Dawson.)These statements prove that Hayes was so afraid of what Kas would do to her that she did not even think about escaping. This must take an incredible amount of strength to stay with a person who makes you commit horrible acts and threatens you on a daily basis. Hayes showed her strength in many ways on the streets, perhaps her greatest strength was her will and desire to live through her time on the streets. In her novel she said "Surprisingly, I didn't ever consider taking my own life" (Trafficked 168.) The act of wanting to live is an extreme strength that Hayes has. It takes a special person to want to live through the inhuman experience of being sold in an unknown place by someone you thought loved you. Hayes knew that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and one day she would escape this awful situation and make it home to her family. Hayes, after 6 months of being sold for sex managed to contact her mother, escape from Kas' clutches and returned home to England (trafficked 220-232.)

When Hayes returned to her familiar life, she realized that her life will be forever altered by her demoralizing journey in Italy. She said "I'd left home as one person, with particular experiences and views on life, and I'd returned as someone I didn't recognize when I looked in the mirror-someone I felt ashamed to be" (trafficked 233.) This statement shows that Hayes recognized that she would not be the same woman she was before being trafficked. It takes an extreme amount of strength to accept that you are not the same after an event, like being trafficked takes place. Hayes also showed her strength and ability to work through fear after being trafficked by her refusal to press criminal charges.

When Hayes returned to England, she was set up with a member of the police. When asked if she wanted to find justice for what Kas had done to her she, she declined. She said, "He asked if I wanted him to be prosecuted for what he'd done to me. Just the thought of it made me shake uncontrollably, because I knew the anger and rages I'd already witnessed would be nothing compared to Kas's vicious fury if he was sent to prison again on the basis of my evidence against him" (Trafficked 241.) This statement proves that Hayes is still truly terrified of Kas, and even though she could obtain justice for herself, she chooses not to as a result of the fear she still has. A clear display of strength can be seen throughout this act, as it takes a stronger person to walk and let someone who hurt you go as a way of keeping yourself safe, than a person who would risk everything for a chance at justice. Hayes displayed an incredible amount of perseverance when she returned home from Italy.

In Trafficked, Hayes describes her final run in with Kas. When Kas was released from jail in Italy on drug charges, he continued to harass Hayes through a variety of media. The harassment reached a climax when he showed up at the door of her flat. After a conferentation, Hayes was sent to a safe house in Germany. After a week in Germany, Hayes returned to England with the knowledge that Kas was being deported to Albania, his home country (Trafficked 272 -280.) In the final pages of her book, she describes her work with the organization STOP THE TRAFFIK. The company is a global advocate for the ending of the sex trade and works on preventing human trafficking (STOP THE TRAFFIC.) Hayes has since dedicated her life advocating and helping victims of human trafficking. After giving a lecture in Bangladesh, Hayes finally came to realize her impact on the lives of others. She said "And That's when I felt really proud. In fact, it was the most amazing feeling I've ever had, to know that, thousands of miles away in a world I can only imagine, my story might keep other girls safe" (Trafficked 256.) Hayes clearly used her inner strength and knowledge of herself in her return to life after being sold in the sex trade and help prevent another story like hers from happening.

Sophie Hayes, despite her harsh life both before, during and after being sold on the streets of Italy, is incredibly strong and uses her strength to overcome the hardships in her life. Hayes displays her strength in her childhood when interacting with her borderline abusive father, her perseverance and will to survive being forced in to the sex trade and her rebound back into life after her horrific 6 month period of being a human trafficking victim. The strength of Hayes is one all of society can adapt. In her closing sentence of her book, she uses a metaphor that all of society can adopt in relation to strength in times of hardship and the ability to push on with life. "At the moment, I'm only a few rungs up the ladder, and I can't even see the top of it yet. But I know that if I keep climbing, I'll get there in the end, however long it takes me"(Trafficked 286.)