At RRI West, we will continue to target trafficking prevention and support the Brand’s partnership with ECPAT (End Childhood Prostitution and Trafficking) by keeping the fight against human trafficking front and center all year round.
Below is a story of a trafficking survivor from The Dragon Fly Home: HTTPS://WWW.THEDRAGONFLYHOME.ORG/HUMAN-TRAFFICKING/SURVIVOR-STORIES/
Kinsey’s* Story
Like so many other high school students, Kinsey suffered bullying by her classmates both at school and at all hours on social media. She also fought constantly with her parents, whom she felt didn’t understand her at all. Her self-esteem dipped lower; she became depressed and started losing hope. Kinsey’s thoughts turned to taking her own life. She wondered if anyone would even notice or care.
One day, Kinsey decided to skip class and spend the afternoon alone at a local park. To her surprise and delight, several cute, older guys approached her. Their compliments and interest made her feel happy for the first time in along time. In that moment, their attention filled her sense of emptiness. When they offered her some drugs to try, she didn’t want to disappoint them. She desperately wanted to keep their attention. She accepted and tried the drugs. Suddenly, everything became a blur.
Kinsey awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar hotel room. Her body was in terrible pain and she felt very disoriented. In her haze, she had already been sold for sex. The guys she had met in the park turned out to be gang members. Now they were Kinsey’s traffickers and they sold Kinsey to dozens of men every day. “The life” became Kinsey’s norm. She had become a victim of the crime of sex trafficking.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been able to hope.” – Kinsey. Eventually Kinsey was saved.
Through The Dragonfly Home, Kinsey received trauma-focused counseling, as well as substance abuse support to overcome the forced drug use perpetrated by those who trafficked her. When she was called upon to testify against a man who had purchased her for sex, Kinsey also received help from The Dragonfly Home’s Court Advocacy Team. Through their courtroom preparation, Kinsey gave her testimony with confidence, resulting in the successful prosecution of the sex purchaser for the crime of human trafficking.
*Names and identifying details have been changed for the victims’ confidentiality and protection
If you have concerns about human trafficking at your hotel location, please speak with your supervisor. If you see something say something. You can make a difference.