“They forced us to have sex 15 times a day”: Brazilians rescued from a brothel in London | The world

All activities will be monitored remotely by cell phone. A hidden camera in the bedroom and threats to send close-up videos to relatives. Passport, documents and money were confiscated. Communication with friends is prohibited. Compulsory sex with 15 to 20 clients a day.

This is the daily life of three Brazilian women rescued by police from work such as slavery in the Northwest London, In a complex investigation that began in March last year.

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The lawsuit was settled out of court on August 9, with Shana Stanley, 29, and Hussein Etani, 31. Confessing to crimes that control prostitution and arranging trips for the purpose of exploitation, It involved three Brazilian women and an English victim.

They were charged and jailed: Ethan was sentenced to 8 years and 2 months and Stanley to 3 years and 7 months in prison.

The details of this case were obtained exclusively by BBC News in Brazil and illustrate the serious risks associated with the easy promises of travel and allowances abroad.

“They sold me a dream and it turned into a dream,” says one of the Brazilians still recovering from the horrific abuse in the English capital’s underworld.

The identities of all the victims have been kept anonymous in this report.

“Your Death Certificate”

All three Brazilians came to the UK in 2020, After receiving a “scholarship” to study English It will last for a few weeks.

Police did not provide details on how the victims were contacted.

However, upon arrival, they suffered A lucrative human trafficking market It affects 2.5 million people each year, according to the UN, and moves to more than US $ 30,000 million.

“Thanks to the courage and bravery of the victims, we were able to gather undeniable evidence that Ethan and Stanley had no choice but to plead guilty, which would prevent harm to others,” said Detective Pete Brewster, one of those in charge. Investigation

It started after one of the Brazilians Ask the police for helpIn March last year, after an argument with a woman who had recently been convicted by a British judge.

During the fight, the victim tried to call the police, but was pushed by Stanley and then, according to official records, threatened her: “You signed your own death certificate.”

It was the impetus for Brazilians to begin police investigation into the London Metropolitan Police’s Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Committee and seek police protection and show photos of the exploiters.

The victim testified that shortly after she began her English studies in Manchester, she was invited to go to London to meet the woman who had negotiated the scholarship.

After meeting her, he must sign a contract or “he will not return to Brazil”, “he will live on the streets of London” and “He will never see his family again. “

Control

The deal prompted the Brazilian to “sell her body”.

He told investigators that he had no choice but to sign the document for fear of not being able to return to Brazil.

History came back again and again with other Brazilians, who came to the UK after promising to study English with tuition, accommodation and paid tickets.

They had to earn $ 690 a day. In return, they received US $ 345 per week and US $ 70 for food.

Police said women often had to meet 15 to 20 customers in a single day to achieve the higher price set by the exploiters.

The amount confiscated by the couple will, according to them, be used to pay for the travel expenses the girls believe they earned for free.

In the bedrooms, everything was filmed by cameras controlled by the couple. They told the victims that if they “did not do what they were asked to do” they would send pictures to their families.

The level of control over Brazilian women went further.

The young women received cell phones from work, through which they received information about customers’ schedules through WhatsApp and all their movements were monitored by GPS.

For a time, they were forced to join the English curriculum, but soon they were forced to leave classes.

Law

Under British law, providing sexual services for prostitution or money is a legal activity.

On the other hand, the exploitation of prostitution – through figures popularly known as pimps – and brothels or brothels It is banned throughout the territory.

The London Police “takes all reports of modern-day slavery very seriously and is committed to prosecuting those involved in this harmful crime.”

They added, “We encourage anyone who has been a victim of such crimes to report it, and complaints will be” sensitively handled “and” scrutinized. “

Prisons

In April 2020, the month following the Brazilian’s complaint, London police conducted search and seizure warrants at the couple’s addresses and collected boxes of mobile phones, documents, price lists and condoms.

Thousands of pounds of sterling were identified in cash deposits in the couple’s bank accounts.

It was only after these searches that the English victim was able to be identified by investigators, a woman who said she was discovered by modeling agents.

After receiving the gifts and paying all the expenses of the couple, they forced her to “pay the debt” and prostituted herself.

“Edani and Stanley made false promises to manipulate and exploit victims for personal financial gain. They had absolutely no respect for the victims or their well-being, forcing them to work long hours for a very short time, even if they were not well,” says Detective Brewster.

“The only thing that matters to them is how much money they can make.”

How to protect yourself

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 72% of all human trafficking cases in the world are committed by women.

In cases involving women, 83% are associated with sexual exploitation13% for forced labor and 4% for other purposes.

In men, the rate is almost the other way around: 82% for forced labor, 10% for sexual exploitation, 1% for organ removal and 7% for other purposes.

Brazilian authorities are making six recommendations to protect themselves from human trafficking scams.

The most important thing is not to doubt the “easy and profitable” research projects or jobs.

Whenever you receive a proposal, request official documents, read contracts and seek information about the authors of the offer with legal assistance.

While the proposals include national and international trips, the focus on these details should be even greater.

They recommend that people keep their personal documents safe and avoid sharing copies with acquaintances or friends.

Before traveling, share the address, phone number and location of the city you are traveling with with people you trust and always keep phone numbers and addresses of NGOs and officials of the target region working with citizens of your country.

In addition, frequent communication with family and friends is important.

If something happens, if the communication breaks down, they will notice that something is wrong and take action.

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