*Names have been changed to protect identities.
WIN’s anti-trafficking leader, Anju* noticed a girl standing at an ATM crying. When Anju asked her what was wrong, 16-year-old Gira* related her harrowing predicament: Four months ago, a man offered to provide after-school tutoring, but after two weeks, he had begun to sexually abuse her and use her for pornographic activities. He had also forced her to hand over her phone for a short time, and just now, she discovered he had used that time to empty her parents’ bank account.
Anju encouraged Gira to summon her parents, who lived nearby. She also called the police, who promptly used Gira’s phone to set a trap for the trafficker. Confident that Gira was entirely under his control and would not expose him, the trafficker didn’t suspect a setup. When he arrived, the police promptly arrested him, ending his exploitative activities, which were not limited to Gira.
It was revealed that this man was a repeat abuser who regularly exploited young girls. Anju continues to provide counseling and encouragement to Gira, who is safe with her parents and continues to pursue her education.