A sex slave for 20 years: survivor of modern slavery speaks out

*Not her real name.?

Marie* had a traumatic childhood. Her parents divorced when she was very young. Her stepfather, who moved in when she was just four, subjected her to years of abuse, threatening her and particularly her mother with violence if she ever spoke out.?

“He told me he would nail her to a cross.”?

The abuse escalated as Marie grew older. Her stepfather would bring other men into the house to sexually exploit her. But a glimmer of hope appeared when Marie met a couple in a local church. The husband, who was British, offered to help Marie escape to the UK where they lived. They promised her an education and a fresh start. Instead, when Marie arrived in Scotland, she was forced into domestic servitude, cleaning their large house and caring for their six children. ?

“I cleaned and cleaned, and they kept promising me that soon I would start my education.”?

The promises of education never materialised. Instead, Marie found herself being sexually exploited once again. The husband and other men who were brought to the house subjected her to repeated abuse.?

“Sometimes they would make me see 20 men in one day. I know they made a lot of money out of me, and I don’t think I was the first person they had done this to.”?

After nearly 10 years Marie's circumstances changed - but not for the better. The couple sold her to an unknown man, and she was moved to a nearby city and forced to work in massage parlours. This new exploiter married her and emotionally manipulated her. He collected the money she earned from providing sexual services to various men at the parlours each day.??

He allowed her contact with her mother and children in Africa, and her sister, who had also moved to the UK. But Marie was threatened with violence if she revealed the truth about her situation to them. Her abuser charmed her family, who had no idea what was happening to her.?

“He could be nice, and he could be nasty. Once he burned me with his cigarette because I wouldn’t do what he told me. He was the devil in disguise.”?

Now able to watch TV, Marie had seen the film Trainspotting - so when her exploiter started to take her to ‘swingers’ parties, where drugs and alcohol were flowing, she refused to join in. She was told she would be with forcibly injected with heroin if she didn't comply.

“I knew from Trainspotting what heroin could do to someone’s life. I couldn’t let this happen.”?

Marie ran away to her sister’s house hoping for respite. Instead, her sister simply called her ‘husband’ to come and pick her up, refusing to believe he could be so cruel.?

“She thought I was married to a lovely man and couldn’t understand.”??

Marie, now desperate, ran on to the streets looking for help. A stranger found her crying by the side of the road. She thought he was trying to help her when he offered a place to stay in a flat he owned. However, on hearing her story, he exploited her for sexual favours. ?

An opportunity to escape

Eventually, during the COVID pandemic, Marie finally had an opportunity to escape. The man fell ill and gave Marie a bank card to pay the apartment’s bills. This led to the man’s wife discovering movement on the bank accounts - and as a result, discovering Marie.

The wife?– who had prior knowledge of modern-day slavery?- understood that Marie was being exploited by her husband. This woman put her in touch with the Citizen's

Advice Bureau. At last, Marie received the support she desperately needed.?

Marie was referred to The Salvation Army, where she was given a home in a safehouse.?

“I told them all I wanted was to finally be safe.”?

For the first time in her life, Marie found herself in a place where she was truly safe.?

But adjusting to her new life was not easy. The trauma she had endured left her deeply mistrustful, and it took time for her to believe that her new home was indeed a place of refuge. During her first weeks at the safehouse she suffered constant anxiety, sleeping with the bed against the door. She even considered returning to her abuser because she couldn't comprehend the kindness she was receiving. ?

Marie’s experience at the safehouse has been transformative – a haven where she is finally able to rebuild her life.?

“These people saved my life. I am so grateful because no one had ever listened to me before. They are so kind, so patient, so empathetic. I’ve been treated with respect. For the first time in my life, I felt normal. This place has given me the freedom to grow into the person I wanted to be.”?

Watch Marie's full story and conversation with Minister Phillips below.

Prioritising victims of modern slavery

Currently, many victims of modern-day slavery face long delays in having their status confirmed through the National Referral Mechanism, via a Conclusive Grounds decision. This can lead to prolonged uncertainty and suffering.????

The Government has pledged to eradicate the backlog of decisions on modern slavery cases within two years, giving thousands of survivors like Marie - who may have suffered traumatic sexual, physical and economic abuse - the clarity they need to assist their recovery. Through hiring 200 additional Home Office staff to process cases, thousands of vulnerable people will receive faster decisions so that they can move forward with their lives.? ??

?Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, met with survivors of modern-day slavery to discuss these new government initiatives.?

Learn more about how we are prioritising and supporting victims of modern slavery here .